I have made a U-turn with asparagus. I used to suggest pairing it best with mild components (and not too many) so as not to mask its first-class flavor. However, I now trust it can bear some goings-on while still keeping its asparagus truth. Yes, a knob of butter or a drizzle of olive oil, with perhaps a poached egg on a pinnacle, is a fine way to serve the spears. However, fermented elements with built-in intensity – soy, black garlic, miso, gochujang chili paste – are equally appropriate companions. In reality, they shed a funky new mild on the vintage asparagus.
Asparagus and gochujang pancakes (pictured pinnacle)
Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste) does wonders for each pancake and asparagus. However, the mixture of all 3 offers you something sincerely marvelous. Try to source a good Korean logo; it’s far a lot more severe than a supermarket’s very own sorts.
Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 2
135g undeniable flour
60g rice flour (now not glutinous rice flour)
Salt
One egg
325ml ice-cold water
1½ tbsp gochujang chili paste
1½ tbsp coriander leaves, chopped, plus more to serve
½ crimson chili, deseeded and finely chopped
75ml sunflower oil
400g asparagus, woody ends trimmed and discarded, and spears halved lengthways (280g internet weight)
120g spring onions (i.e., about 6-7), trimmed, cut in 1/2 widthways and alternatively lengthways.
For the dipping sauce
50ml light soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
One garlic clove, peeled and beaten
½ crimson chili, deseeded and finely chopped
Whisk together all elements in a small bowl for the dipping sauce, then set aside. Put both flours in a massive bowl with half a teaspoon of salt and blend to combine. Gently whisk the egg, water, gochujang, coriander, and chili in a separate bowl. Make a nice in the center of the flour mixture, then slowly pour in the moist substances and whisk till simply easy; don’t overmix.
Pour just over a tablespoon of oil into a medium (18cm) nonstick pan on a medium-high flame. Once warm, add 1 / 4 of the asparagus (make certain it all points in the equal direction) and a tiny pinch of salt, and cook dinner for a minute and a half to two minutes, turning a few times or until it begins to melt and shade.
Add a quarter of the spring onions, cook for 30 seconds more, then pour over 140g of the batter (i.e., approximately a quarter), swirling the pan so it spreads out to cover the pan’s circumference. Leave to cook for two and a half minutes, then turn over and cook for equal time on the other side or until crisp and golden.
Transfer to a plate, preserve warm, and repeat with the relaxation of the oil, asparagus, spring onions, and batter, making four pancakes in all. (You may need to adjust the warmth and timings as you go.) Divide the pancakes between plates, sprinkle over the extra chopped coriander, and serve the sauce along or gently drizzle it on top.
Asparagus and ricotta tart with miso and black garlic. This clean tart receives its oomph from sweet black garlic and salty miso. Serve it with a massive green salad as a light lunch.
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves four
150g ricotta
25g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra finely grated to serve
Two egg yolks
1 tbsp white miso
Salt and black pepper
Six cloves black garlic, roughly chopped
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
2½ tbsp olive oil
1 x 35cm x 22cm sheet of all-butter puff pastry (approximately 320g) rolled out
250g first-class asparagus ends trimmed and discarded
¼ tsp chili flakes
Heat the oven to 190C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Integrate the ricotta, parmesan, egg yolks, miso, and a terrific grind of pepper in a small bowl and set it apart. Put the black garlic, vinegar, tablespoons of oil, and a teaspoon of water in the small bowl of a meal processor and blitz clean, scraping the edges of the bowl a few instances as you cross. Line a huge baking tray with greaseproof paper and lay the puff pastry sheet on the pinnacle, with the longer facet going through you. Create a rim on the pastry by gently scoring it about 1cm from the threshold all the way around.
Gently poke the center randomly with a fork approximately 12 times in all. Spread the ricotta combination calmly over the center, then top with the asparagus tips, all pointing inside the equal path and away from you, with a few pointers slightly overlapping the others. Drizzle over the ultimate teaspoon and a 1/2 of oil, gently sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper. Add a small splash of water to the ultimate egg yolk, beating to mix, and use this to brush all over the rim.
Bake for 25-28 minutes until the pastry is golden around the edges and cooked through. Transfer the tart to a large board, spoon over the black garlic dressing, sprinkle with the chili and additional parmesan, then reduce into eight pieces. Serve heat or at room temperature.
