Asparagus season is here. If you thought this humble vegetable was just a side dish to add a bit of colour and health to your plate, you’re mistaken. Done right, it can be the star by itself, and we’ve put together a few recipes showcasing this in-season veg in it’s best light. 

A few things to note: 

The season is very short – just May through to June – so in this week’s chef series, we’ve gone to the experts to steal their tips on how to prep, cook and serve asparagus. Plus their top asparagus recipes to recreate at home.

Its bright, slightly earthy flavour is loved by chefs and once asparagus season comes into play, those speared green fingers pop up on just about every menu, in fact, many chefs create whole menus dedicated to the things.

From eating it raw to frying in bread crumbs, simple soups to show stopping tarts, we’ve got big plans for your next bunch and four delicious asparagus recipes that are sure to impress.

The best asparagus recipes to make at home

1. Spring Carbonara

by Chef Vito Mollica at Il Palagio, Four Seasons Hotel Florence

Ingredients:

  • 320g pasta of choice
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 60g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 200 guanciale (pancetta as alternative)
  • 8 asparagus spears cut into pieces
  • 100g Shelled peas
  • 100g fresh shelled broad beans
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • 60g fresh Marzolino Pecorino cheese
  • Ground pepper

Method:

  1. In a pan, slowly melt the guanciale until it becomes crispy. Cook pasta in salted water (plenty). While the pasta is cooking, beat the egg yolks with grated Parmesan cheese.
    Remove the guanciale from the pan and set aside. Add a little cooking water to the fat of the guanciale, mixing together until you get a nice emulsion.
  2. Saute the chopped asparagus, peas, and fresh broad beans in a pan with the extra oil virgin olive, vegetables must be kept crunchy.
    Add the crispy guanciale and a dash of pasta cooking water and remove by fire.
  3. Drain the fusilli al dente, pour them into the pan with the emulsion of water and fat of the guanciale, and let it cook for a minute to mix the flavours.
  4. Reduce the heat to a minimum, add the egg and Parmesan cheese mixture, and mix well. You must have a nice cream, and add a bit of cooking water if necessary. Remove from the fire and finish with the mix of vegetables and crispy guanciale, the fresh Marzolino pecorino cheese cut into very small pieces and a sprinkle of ground pepper. Serve immediately.

www.fourseasons.com

2. Asparagus & Goat’s Cheese Tart

by Roberta Hall McCarron, The Little Chartroom

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 250g plain flour
  • 125g cold butter
  • 4g salt
  • 65g cream cheese
  • 65g double cream
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking sugar
  • 1 egg

For the asparagus puree:

4 bunches of asparagus

2 shallots

500 ml chicken stock/veg stock

50g baby spinach

Seasoning, to taste

For assembleé: 

  • 40g goat’s cheese
  • 1 lemon

Method: 

For the pastry:  

  1. Pulse all the dry ingredients and butter together until crumbly
  2. Add the wet ingredients to the dough, don’t overmix.
  3. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge, rest for approx. 2 hours.
  4. Roll out and press into desired moulds (ideally around 8cm diameter)
  5. Line with baking beans/pulses and blind bake at 170 degrees C for approx. 15-20 minutes until the pastry is almost cooked.
  6. Remove beans and finish cooking until golden in colour and crispy.

For the asparagus: 

  1. Blanch the remaining asparagus in salty water for 1 minute, then refresh in ice-cold water. Remove when cold.

For the asparagus pureé: 

  1. Thinly slice the shallots and sweat down in a pot.
  2. Keep 8 spears of asparagus to one side, these will be to serve alongside the tart. From the remaining spears, take 4 and cut into ½ cm slices up to the head of the spear and put them to one side, these will be served in the tart.
  3. Chop the rest of the asparagus into small pieces, add to the shallots, and sweat down.
  4. Cover with stock and reduce until almost dry.
  5. Add in the baby spinach and wilt down.
  6. Blend until smooth.
  7. Season to taste.
  8. Cool it down quickly in a bowl that is sitting over ice to help retain the green colour

To assemble

  1. Take your pastry and fill the bottom with a good amount of the asparagus puree
  2. Take 40g of goat’s cheese for each tart and spread that out on top.
  3. Depending on the thickness you will need approximately twelve of the small asparagus slices to place around the side of the tart on top of the cheese.
  4. Zest a little bit of lemon over the top of the tart.
  5. You can chargrill, barbecue or pan-fry your 8 spears of asparagus to serve alongside the tarts. Crack a little bit of rock salt on top of the spears when serving.

www.thelittlechartroom.com

3. Asparagus Risotto

by Michelin-starred chef Simone Zanoni, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

Ingredients:

  • 1kg of asparagus
  • 4 coffee cups of Carnaroli rice
  • 2 glasses of dry white wine
  • 60g butter
  • 80g of parmigiano reggiano cheese
  • 2 lemons
  • 4 slices of guanciale or pancetta

Method:

Prepare the asparagus:

  1. Cut the white part and peel the asparagus
  2. For a very tasty risotto, boil it in 100ml of water. Add vegetable stock to create a broth and let it boil for 10 minutes
  3. Cut the asparagus tips. Set aside.
  4. Cut the rest of the asparagus into thin slices and brown them in a frying pan with garlic, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.
  5. Mix to obtain an asparagus puree. Set aside.

Prepare the risotto rice:

  1. Cut the guanciale into thin slices and brown them in a frying pan. Set aside, and use the same pan to start cooking your rice with the guanciale fat. After 3min, add the white wine.
  2. Then, start mixing the risotto with the asparagus broth little by little over 13 minutes. At the same time, cook the asparagus tips in boiling water until “al dente”. Set aside 3 asparagus tips per person, and cut the rest into slices.
  3. At the end of the process, add the asparagus puree and the slices of asparagus.
  4. Let it rest for 3 minutes.
  5. Then, add the Parmigiano cheese and the butter. Stir to combine.
  6. On a warm plate, arrange your risotto with the asparagus tips, the fried guanciale, and lemon peel.

www.fourseasons.com

4. Asparagus Soup

by Richard Bainbridge, chef owner Benedicts, Norwich

Ingredients:

  • 250g new potatoes (washed, skin on, thinly sliced)
  • 1 bunch of asparagus (sliced, keeping tips for garnish)
  • 1 large banana shallot (thinly sliced)
  • 2 garlic cloves (peeled, sliced)
  • 500ml water
  • 3-4 sprigs of garden mint (crushed)
  • 100ml double cream
  • 40g salted butter
  • Sea salt & white pepper to taste

www.restaurantbenedicts.com

Method:

  1. Place a pot on low heat, once hot add a splash of rapeseed oil and add your shallots and garlic, sweat until cooked without colour (turn down the heat if going to quickly).
  2. Once cooked add your potato and stir well.
  3. Add your water, a good pinch of sea salt and the crushed mint.
  4. Turn the heat up and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked, add your asparagus and continue to cook for 4-6 minutes.
  5. Then add the cream, bring back to the boil and remove the mint.
  6. Place into a blender and blend until smooth for approx. 3-6mins. Pass through a sieve and stir in your butter and season with more sea salt and white pepper.

Chef’s tip: “What I like to do is fill a soup bowl with some nice seasonal raw vegetables like peas, broad beans, sugar snap peas, garden flowers or herbs and a good splash of Norfolk rapeseed oil and even some lightly cooked Norfolk spring lamb. (just chop the slightly larger vegetables into bite-size pieces).”

5. Spargel mit Hollandaise

by Alex Thiel, German Gymnasium Executive Chef

Method

for the asparagus

  • take a medium Size Pot and add your 4Lt water.
  • TIP: cover simmering asparagus with a kitchen cloth while cooking, so it will get cooked evenly.
  • Peel Asparagus Evenly from below the tip to the bottom, KEEP THE PEELINGS!
  • Trim the bottom of the asparagus to cut off the wooden part.
  • Add your peelings to the water and let simmer for 10-15mins to make your stock for the asparagus. Add salt.
  • Remove peelings and add asparagus.
  • Let simmer roughly for 8 min (depending on the width of your asparagus).
  • The asparagus is ready to serve when you press the asparagus between your thumb and index finger and it is tender but not soft.
  • Remove from water and brush with melted butter and finish with chives.

Ingredients: 

  • 400g (German) white Asparagus
  • 4Lt Tap Water
  • 150g Unsalted butter
  • 2 Egg Yolk
  • 50g chives
  • 10ml white Wine Vinegar
  • 150g Peeled New potatoes
  • Salt
  • Butchers String
  • Cayenne pepper

For the hollandaise

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan and skim any white solids from the surface. Keep the butter warm.
  • Put the egg yolks, white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a splash of ice-cold water in a metal or glass bowl that will fit over a small pan. Whisk for a few minutes, then put the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk continuously until pale and thick, about 3-5 mins.
  • Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the melted butter bit by bit until it’s all incorporated and you have a creamy hollandaise. (If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.) Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little cayenne pepper. Keep warm until needed.

For the potato

  • Put water in a saucepan and season with some salt.
  • Add your new potatoes to the water and simmer till done.
  • Once done peel your potatoes & melt some butter in a pan and slightly sauteed your potato. When done add your finely chopped chives to finish.

germangymnasium.com

Food & Drink, Recipes

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