Celebrate the first of the new season’s asparagus with this easy starter. You can use only green asparagus, or include white and purple spears.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 10 MINS
COOK TIME 20 MINS
Recipe Ingredients:
| 24 asparagus spears, including at least 12 green spears |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 3 tbsp olive oil |
| 6 tbsp aïoli |
| 1 tbsp finely snipped basil |
| 1 tbsp finely snipped dill |
| 1 tomato, blanched, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped |
Recipe Methods:
| 1 Trim the asparagus. In a large frying pan, add water to a depth of 5 cm (2 in) and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium–high and add a little salt. Blanch the asparagus, starting with the white and purple spears, if using, for 7 minutes. Then add the green spears and cook for a further 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. |
| 2 Dry the pan and add the oil. Fry the asparagus in a single layer, in batches, for 5 minutes, until a little charred. Remove from the pan and arrange them on plates. |
| 3 Place a generous tablespoon of aïoli on each plate and scatter over the basil, dill and tomato. Season with a little pepper and serve immediately. |
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per recipe)
| Fat : 76.35 g | Fibre : 9.65 g |
| Iron : 9.03 mg | Sugar : 10.47 g |
| Calcium : 117.34 mg | Sodium : 1574.32 mg |
| Potassium : 1089.31 mg | Calories: 863.84 kcal |
| Protein : 9.74 g | Vitamin A : 4290.83 IU |
| Vitamin C : 39.82 g | Carbohydrates : 21.44 g |
| Saturated Fat : 11.58 g | Cholesterol : 28 mg |