There’s no time of year that gets chefs and home cooks more excited than spring. That’s because of the huge bounty of produce that starts becoming available – spring onions, broad beans, radishes and a whole host of other colourful vegetables. But the jewel in the crown has to be British asparagus; something that’s only in season for a few months each year, and should be eaten at every possible opportunity before it disappears from shop shelves.
British asparagus’ amazing flavour and relatively short season was why we invited chef Robin Gill, owner of The Dairy and The Manor in Clapham, London, plus Paradise Garage in Bethnal Green, to host a cookery demonstration for bloggers and journalists at the legendary Le Cordon Bleu cook school. Robin’s cooking style makes the most of incredible produce, presenting it in a natural, simple way, using techniques such as preserving and fermenting to create intense bursts of flavour. And by using the finest, thickest spears of Wye Valley asparagus, his dish was guaranteed to produce wonderful results.
‘You can do much more with asparagus than simply boiling or roasting it,’ says Robin. ‘At The Dairy we really like brining the spears to help season and soften the texture slightly, which means you can eat them raw or give them a quick blast under the grill or on a barbecue until they’re charred and crispy. Their flavour works so well with everything else that’s in season at this time of year, and if you’re buying British asparagus then it’s the best in the world. I sometimes cringe when I see asparagus from Peru or Mexico on a menu because it’s just nothing like what we can grow here.’