There are few vegetables that stand alone as well as Asparagus. In France 'le légume royal' is often served as a starter with a simple vinaigrette, Italy it is served with Parma ham.

Steamed, roasted or grilled these delicious spring stems are super versatile and marry well with a host of other fantastic ingredients. 

Servings: 2 Starter

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook Time:  10 mins

INGREDIENTS 

• 400g Trimmed Asparagus
• 50g Summer Truffle
• 50g Shaved Parmesan
• 10ml White Balsamic Vinegar
• 30ml Black Truffle Oil 
• Olive Oil
• Seasoning

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EQUIPMENT

• Large saucepan
• Bowl of iced water
• Truffle slicer
• Glass jar with lid
• Medium size non-stick frying pan

PREPARATION

Asparagus: We sell ready trimmed grade AA asparagus, for this dish you may want to trim them slightly further; line up the asparagus on a chopping board and remove any wooden ends to the stem, cutting at a straight line across all the asparagus at once.

Using a small paring knife remove the young leaves from the stem, we do not recommend peeling as it is wasteful and unnecessary.

Truffles: Again using a paring knife, gently remove the outer peridium of the truffle as this can be slightly bitter when eating raw, taking only the finest layer off. It may not be possible to remove it all.

Vinaigrette: Pour the white balsamic and truffle oil into a small glass jar, season then screw on the lid.

METHOD:

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add a good punch of salt. Blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes in rapidly boiling water, then remove using tongs or a slotted spoon and place straight in the ice bath to stop them cooking further, Hold for two minutes then remove and place on kitchen paper to dry.

Place frying pan over a moderate heat, add a splash of olive oil then the asparagus and gently fry for 2-3 minutes turning often. The objective is to gently caramelize the skin not to overcook the asparagus. Once a light golden colour is achieved remove the pan from the heat, season and set aside.

PLATING

Place the asparagus spears evenly on each plate. 

Shake the jar of vinaigrette vigorously until it has emulsified (20-30 seconds) then spoon over the asparagus.

With the truffle slicer, shave the truffles (as thinly as possible) in abundance over the asparagus, using the same slicer shave over the parmesan. 

Add a sprinkle of course salt then serve.

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