Recipe of the week: asparagus, wild garlic and English pecorino salad
Make the most of asparagus season – which is now in full flourish
Asparagus season is now in full flourish, says events company Lettice Events, who champion sustainability and seasonality. Wild garlic is also popping up everywhere (you can even forage it yourself from damp woodlands, near rivers and brooks). This salad is a prime example of how good products can be treated simply for sublime results.
Makes two portions
Ingredients
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 8 spears of asparagus (the thicker the better, preferably from the UK’s Wye Valley)
- 10 leaves of wild garlic
- 1 lemon
- Some sourdough bread
- Salad leaves – any variety will do
- A small piece of pecorino cheese
- Vinaigrette (see below)
For the vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of a neutral oil (grapeseed ideally, otherwise sunflower will do)
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Twist of pepper
Method
- Begin by making your croutons. You can do this in any shape you like. We like to thinly slice the bread, lay it on a baking tray and drizzle it liberally with olive oil and sea salt, then bake at 180c for 7-8 minutes.
- Cut off the woody end of the asparagus (you can find this by bending the asparagus from the bottom and moving slowly up the spear until you find the point that it will snap off).
- Blanch your asparagus in two batches in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Plunge into cold water, with ice ideally.
- Blanch your wild garlic leaves in the water for two seconds, to gently wilt them and to mellow the harsh garlic flavour. Refresh in the cold water as well, to stop the cooking process.
- Dry your asparagus and wild garlic using kitchen towels.
- Cut your asparagus into bite-size pieces, on an angle, and place the pieces a bowl with your salad leaves.
- Dress with the vinaigrette and a sprinkle of sea salt. Place your mix on plates and lay the wilted wild garlic leaves over the top. Add your croutons and grate plenty of pecorino over the top.
Lettice Events create recipes every month based on the seasonal produce available in the UK.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
One great cookbook: 'The Zuni Café Cookbook' by Judy Rodgers
The Week Recommends A tome that teaches you to both recreate recipes and think like a cook
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Stay sharp with the country's best knife shops
The Week Recommends A dull knife is a kitchen's worst nightmare
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
5 online spice shops that will breathe life into your cooking and baking
The Week Recommends Accessing fresh spices does not have to be a grind
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Gary Townsend's slow braised Moroccan spiced lamb shoulder
Recipe This melt-in-the-mouth lamb is bursting with vibrant flavours
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
One great cookbook: 'Every Grain of Rice' by Fuchsia Dunlop
The Week Recommends The alchemy of Chinese home cooking made accessible
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
8 new cookbooks for a delicious fall
The Week Recommends With a big ole emphasis on baking. Because it is the season.
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Martin Blake's cod with mussel and chorizo broth
Recipe Succulent cod is paired with a rich, briny broth in this sumptuous bowlful
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
7 recipes for every kind of fall cooking occasion
The Week Recommends Marinated feta; go-to chocolate cake; a fresh way with Brussels: Autumn is not going to know what hit it
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published