Recipes / Blog

Saying goodbye to asparagus season 20 Jun 18

 
The official British asparagus season runs from the 23rd of April until the 21st June. (Or, more poetically, from St George's Day until the summer solstice). Whichever way you look at it, the all too brief season comes to an end tomorrow. Because it’s only grown here for three months of the year, we think it’s important to make the most of it during that time, so it appears often on our Spring wedding menus as well as in our own lunches and suppers. Breakfasts too, actually. As with most green vegetables, asparagus is incredibly good for you as well as incredibly versatile. Blitzed up in a light soup with a dab of crème fraiche and some snipped chives, included in a spring vegetable risotto or pasta dish, served roasted with tomatoes and white fish, or – possibly my favourite and most simple recipe, dipped in a 50/50 mixture of melted butter and lemon juice. Difficult to beat as a simple, light spring starter.​

We grow some of our own asparagus (which does take a bit of commitment as you can't harvest for the first two years after planting) but when we're cooking it for events and need greater quantities, we go to South Brockwells Farm, which is just a mile or so from our kitchen and is a local hero for asparagus and game.
 
This recipe is a bit more challenging but still very acheivable and makes an impressive start to a dinner party when you want to show off a bit. Just make sure your friends start eating as soon as they’re served (never usually a problem) because you want the yolks to stay runny and they’ll continue cooking in their breadcrumbs.
 
Asparagus with Crispy Duck Eggs
 
Prepare the asparagus by bending each spear until it snaps. Save the tougher ends for turning into a soup or vegatable stock. (They will freeze quite successfully). Blanch the tender spears in boiling, salted water for two minutes (or less if they’re very fine tips) and then plunge into some iced water to stop them from cooking further. Drain on some kitchen roll.
 
On to the duck eggs. Lower them into a pan of boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. (They’ll take significantly longer to cook than hen’s eggs). Chill down under cold running water before carefully peeling the eggs. This can be a little tricky because they’re still soft in the middle, so take your time – it will be worth it. Chill the peeled eggs for a bit longer in the fridge so that they’re easier to work with in the next step.
 
You’ll need to prepare 3 bowls for coating the eggs in the bread crumbs that make them crispy. First, a bowl of flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then a bowl containing 1 beaten egg and finally a bowl of white bread crumbs. In that order, coat your eggs in each and then set aside until ready to use. (The flour, egg, bread crumbing process is called Pané-ing, and is a useful technique for the kitchen if you love to deep fry things.)
 
Shallow-fry the asparagus in a frying pan of foaming butter with a good squeeze of lemon juice just until it’s warm again. Meanwhile, deep-fry the eggs in vegetable or sunflower oil at 180°C until they’re golden brown, then rest in a warm place for a minute to give the egg just a little more cooking time. Serve with the asparagus and a little green salad of pea shoots and watercress. Do it tomorrow, and say goodbye to the season with a bang. 
 

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