There’s nothing like boxes of overflowing local asparagus to confirm that spring is starting to turn to summer. The fresher the better. To serve with a leg of hogget this Easter I prepared two dishes: a raw asparagus salad, and a sauce of asparagus and mint. The raw asparagus salad was derived from a recipe published in Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo’s Two Greedy Italians (Quadrille, 2011). The sauce just seemed the natural thing to do.
Asparagus Salad
350g fresh local asparagus (or a good couple of handfuls)
A few wild or garden sorrel leaves (optional)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Generous shavings of Parmesan cheese
Remove tips from asparagus stalks. Trim the stalks of any really thick parts or tough skin. Slice stalks length-ways into four or more thin strips and halve. Arrange tips and asparagus matchsticks on dish. Dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil (you really want the taste of fresh asparagus to dominate). Sprinkle on some torn sorrel leaves (if using). Season. Grate a generous serving of parmesan shavings. Serve.
Asparagus and mint sauce
200ml vegetable stock (I actually used a couple of ladles of stock from cooking beans)
200g asparagus
Handful of mint leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Cook asparagus in stock until tender (approximately 8 minutes). Remove from heat. Mix in mint leaves. Roughly blend the mixture. Season to taste. Leave to cool and serve.
