Asparagus soup with white crab and lovage
Merlin and his team at Osip in Somerset utilise what vegetables they have available in the kitchen garden, resulting in a daily or weekly changing menu to reflect the seasons. This soup is a celebration of asparagus, spinach and nettles, which is charged in an espuma gun for a light and airy texture. It is served over asparagus tips with fresh, simply dressed crab and a crispy fried nettle leaf.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 100g of spinach
- 3 shallots, finely sliced
- 100ml of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 2 bunches of asparagus, (approx. 250g), trimmed, tips cut off and reserved, then the remaining stems cut into thirds. Reserve a third of the stems, and finely slice the rest
- 4 nettle leaves
- 5 lovage leaves, finely chopped
- lemon juice, for seasoning
- 120g of white crab meat
- vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
Equipment
- Siphon bottle or cream whipper
- 2 siphon cartridges
- Temperature probe
Method
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the spinach for 1 minute, then remove and refresh in iced water. Once cold, drain and squeeze to remove excess water. Set aside
- 100g of spinach
In a large saucepan, sweat the sliced shallots gently in the olive oil until they are soft but not coloured
- 3 shallots, finely sliced
- 100ml of olive oil, plus extra to serve
Add the sliced asparagus (reserving the tips and remaining third of the stems) and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1 litre of water and bring to a boil
- 2 bunches of asparagus, (approx. 250g), trimmed, tips cut off and reserved, then the remaining stems cut into thirds. Reserve a third of the stems, and finely slice the rest
Transfer to a blender along with the cooked spinach and blend until smooth – it should be the consistency of a loose purée (loosen with a splash of water if needed). Season with salt and chill over a bowl of ice
Once cold, add to a siphon gun and charge with 2 gas canisters. Shake well and store in the fridge until needed
Heat 1cm of oil in a pan over a medium-high heat (it should be around 180°C). Fry the nettle leaves for 10 seconds, or until crispy, then set aside on kitchen paper to drain. You can fry the nettle leaves in a deep-fat fryer if you have one
- vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
- 4 nettle leaves
Blanch the asparagus tips in boiling water for 45 seconds, then refresh in iced water. Blanch the remaining stems for 1 minute and refresh in iced water. Once cool, remove and pay dry with kitchen paper
- asparagus, reserved tips and stems
Finely dice the blanched stems and mix with the chopped lovage. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon
- 5 lovage leaves, finely chopped
- lemon juice, for seasoning
To plate, place a spoonful of the diced asparagus into each serving bowl. Cover with asparagus soup and add a few drops of olive oil. Top with a spoonful of the white crab meat, 2 asparagus tips per bowl and a crispy nettle leaf
- 120g of white crab meat
- olive oil, extra to serve
After six years working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Switzerland, France and Belgium, Merlin Labron-Johnson returned to the UK to open Portland. Nine months later, he was awarded a Michelin star at just twenty-four years old. Now he can be found in Bruton, Somerset, with his restaurant Osip, which was awarded a Michelin green star in 2023.
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