RECIPE, FOOD STYLING AND STYLING GILL MELLER PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY
There’s nothing quite like the sugary sweetness and delicate texture of freshly cut asparagus. Whether you serve it raw as part of a crunchy crudités platter with a rich, lemony mayonnaise, or lightly steamed and buttered with crisp pancetta, poached eggs and black pepper, this short-seasoned gem of a vegetable is not to be missed. When you’re buying asparagus, look out for firm, snappy spears with tight tips and a bright emerald colour. It may be pricey, but that’s because it’s special. It takes several years for the crowns – the part of the plant the spears grow from – to produce their first stems, and then they’ll only yield a limited amount. You should be able to find really great locally grown stuff on the shelves of good farm shops, greengrocers and roadside stalls right through until the end of June.
Eat asparagus when it’s as fresh as you can get it – it’ll be so much sweeter if you do. If it’s not being eaten for a day or so, keep it wrapped in a damp tea towel in the fridge. Alternatively, store the spears upright in a jug of fresh water.
Chargrilling or, if the weather’s co-operative, barbecuing asparagus gives it an amazing depth of flavour, accentuating its sweetness by caramelising the natural sugars within the stem. Served with herbs, an egg and a mustardy dressing, it makes a wonderful starter.