Once a favourite of Madame de Pompadour — member of the French court and mistress of Louis XV — asparagus has long since lost its ‘royal' status, but not for me.
I'm excited to see the asparagus season has begun, an optimistic sign that summer really is just around the corner — and the kitchen garden will soon be brimming with a wealth of new culinary offerings.
Although asparagus it will always be delicious simply steamed and served with hollandaise, I wanted to share these recipes with you to show what a useful ingredient it can be, too.
Top tip: you can also eat it raw, as part of salad.
Grilled asparagus with chilli and lemon, burrata and pistachio pesto
Toss thick asparagus spears with olive oil, sea salt and a pinch of chilli flakes and grill on high heat until charred and tender.
Process a handful of pistachios with some basil, grated Parmesan, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice to make a vibrant pesto.
Arrange the asparagus on a plate, drizzle with a squeeze of lemon, and spoon over the pesto. Tear creamy burrata over the top, scatter with crushed pistachios and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and micro herbs.
Serve immediately with warm sour-dough to mop up the delicious juices.
Asparagus pizza
Combine 200g white spelt flour, half a teaspoon dry yeast, a pinch of salt and 150ml warm water in a bowl. Mix to a dough and allow to rise in a warm place for half an hour before kneading and shaping into mini pizza bases.
Toss asparagus spears in olive oil and crushed garlic, and arrange them on rolled-out, olive-oiled pizza bases. Add Parmesan shavings and seasoning. You can also add Parma ham, more burrata, lemon, and other green vegetables.
Bake in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes.
To serve, drizzle with truffle oil and scatter with a handful of fresh chervil.
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