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RECIPES
It’s officially Jolly Asparagus season! You’ll start to see spears popping up in markets and green grocers across the UK. Make sure you grab a few bundles and make the most of it whilst it’s here.
Jolly Asparagus and lamb chop try bake
The perfect alternative to a Sunday roast for Spring time. Just 5 ingredients, this has little preparation time and will seriously deliver on flavour.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
You’ll need:
250g white potatoes
4 lamb chops
A few sprigs of rosemary
250g British asparagus
260g frozen peas
What to do:
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Place a medium pan of water onto boil while you chop your potatoes into 3-4cm chunks. Add the potatoes to boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, then drain.
Place a large frying pan on the heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lamb chops and sear on all sides until browned.
Place the potatoes into a medium sized oven tray and nestle the lamb chops in amongst them. Add the rosemary, asparagus spears and peas and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until the asparagus is cooked and the potatoes are crispy.
Serve immediately.
Jolly Asparagus spring pasta
A super quick and easy dish for those mid-week meals that requires little preparation time.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
You’ll need:
400g British asparagus
170g frozen peas
350g pappardelle pasta
2 knobs of butter
1tbsp olive oil
4 echalions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200ml crème fraiche
Handful of chopped mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan, grated
What to do:
Put a large pan of water onto boil for the pappardelle. While you wait, trim the ends off the asparagus and chop into 2-3cm pieces. Once the water has come up to boil, blanch the asparagus and the peas for 2-3 minutes and then place in a bowl of ice-cold water. Keep the pan of water on the hob and boil the pasta according to pack instructions.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and gently fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the crème fraiche to the pan and stir to gently warm through making sure it doesn’t split. Add the fresh chopped mint, asparagus and peas to the pan and stir through along with a little of pasta water to loosen the mixture up. Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and add to the sauce. Season to your liking and then serve with a grating of parmesan, a sprinkle of more fresh mint and a drizzle of olive oil.
Sesame and Garlic Roasted Jolly Asparagus
A simple way to spruce up your asparagus, this tasty dish with as Asian twist is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
You’ll need:
2 bunches of British asparagus, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Large pinch of Maldon salt
1 tbsp sesame seeds
What to do:
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan, put the asparagus in a wide bowl with the sliced garlic. Drizzle over the oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and toss well. Transfer the asparagus and garlic to an oven tray (keep the bowl with the oil for later) and sprinkle over the sesame seeds. Roast for 10-12 minutes until softened and browning. Once cooked tip the veg back into the bowl and toss again in the retained dressing, add a little more salt if necessary and serve immediately.