Rose veal with buttered morels, white asparagus, wild garlic and truffle

Begin by making the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a low heat until golden, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn, then allow to cool and chop

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt, then blanch the wild garlic leaves for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh in iced water, then once cold squeeze the leaves to remove any excess liquid. Wrap in kitchen towel and wring out any remaining water, then finely chop the leaves and place in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan, chopped pine nuts, rapeseed oil and sherry vinegar, stir well and season to taste. Set aside at room temperature

For the cracked wheat, add the rapeseed oil to a hot pan and cook the shallot for a few minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the cracked wheat and cook for a further minute, then pour in the chicken stock. Add the garlic and thyme along with a pinch of salt and simmer over a low-medium heat for around 20 minutes, until the wheat is swollen and tender. Discard the garlic and thyme, pour the wheat onto a tray and allow to cool to room temperature

To prepare the chicken livers, place a small heavy frying pan over a medium heat and season the livers with salt. Add the rapeseed oil to the pan, followed by the livers. Cook for 1 minute, then add a knob of butter and cook for 2 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with a dash of sherry vinegar, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom, then continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove and set aside to cool in the fridge

For the white asparagus, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Peel the asparagus, keeping the shape as round and as natural as possible, then snap off the woody part of the stems. Boil the asparagus for 4-5 minutes, until tender, then refresh in iced water. Once cold, drain and set aside at room temperature

Preheat an oven to 140°C/120°C fan/gas mark 1. Place a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and allow to get hot. Season the veal all over then place in the pan, fat-side down, and cook until the fat renders and turns golden brown. Once this happens, turn the heat up to high, add the rapeseed oil and turn, colouring each side of the meat. Remove and set aside

Add the shallots and mushrooms to the same pan and cook for 3 minutes until caramelised and golden. Add the garlic and thyme, then place the veal flesh-side down on top. Transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes, then turn the veal over and add the butter. Cook for a further 8 minutes, then remove and allow to rest for 15 minutes, turning regularly

While the veal rests, it’s time to finish cooking the garnishes. Gently reheat the cracked wheat with the chicken livers until hot throughout, then keep warm. Blanch the handful of wild garlic leaves for 30 seconds in salted boiling water, then drain thoroughly

Place a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once melted add the morels, cook gently for 1 minute, then add the smashed garlic cloves and cook for a further 2 minutes until tender. Add the asparagus spears and cook until warmed through

To serve, carve the veal into thin slices against the grain – roughly 5mm thick – and stir any veal resting juices into the wild garlic pesto. Place a neat pile of the wheat in the centre of 4 warmed plates, then spoon the pesto around it in a circle. Top the wheat with the asparagus and slices of the veal on top to cover, then add the blanched wild garlic leaves and morels. Shave a generous amount of truffle over the top to finish