Y
esterday was St George’s Day, which
traditionally marks the official start of British
asparagus season — although in reality it’s
been available in the shops for a few weeks
now. It’s one of our most special homegrown
ingredients and is all the sweeter for being
so fleeting, lasting only until summer solstice
on June 21.
A true harbinger of spring, its arrival is
cause for much excitement in my kitchen.
I find the best way to cook asparagus is to boil
it in salted water until just tender, before gently draining
it and laying it on a plate to steam dry. Sometimes I roll
the stems in a little oil and crunchy salt and sweat them
for a few minutes in a lidded pan big enough to hold
them in a single layer, so that they cook in their own
steam and don’t lose any flavour in the process. I also love
to barbecue the spears by placing them across the grate
over glowing coals and cooking until lightly charred
and blistered on the outside and tender on the inside.
They retain their juiciness and get a lovely lick of
charcoal char. You can recreate this in a griddle pan,
as per the griddled asparagus recipe here.
One of the other wonderful things about asparagus
is that while it’s one of the most flavourful ingredients
we have, it takes very little cooking, so these recipes
come together pleasingly quickly, leaving you time to
get out there and enjoy the start of spring.The great British asparagus
season is tantalisingly brief,
so make the most of it
BEST OF
THE BUNCH
ROSIE BIRKETT
Asparagus orzo
with gingered
broth and
gochujangcandied bacon
A green and verdant broth is a
springtime staple in my kitchen
because it’s so fresh and light.
Thanks to the miso and ginger,
this recipe is satisfying and
enlivening too. Sometimes I
add shreds of poached chicken
or lose the miso and orzo and
add pan-fried gnocchi, but orzo
is obligingly quick and filling.
The gochujang candied bacon
adds a chilli kick and richness
when scattered into the broth.
I love it, but skip it if you’d
rather keep things veggie.Serves 2Ingredients- 150g orzo
- 100g frozen peas
- A bunch of asparagus
(about 200/250g) - 800ml chicken or
vegetable broth - 1½ tbsp white miso
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
(or 1 baby leek, sliced) - 1 tsp grated root ginger
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon
- A handful of soft herbs (such
as parsley, coriander, dill,
tarragon), picked, to serve - Olive oil, to serve
For the gochujang
candied bacon- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp gochujang (red chilli
paste) - 4 smoked, streaky
bacon rashers
01 To make the candied bacon,
stir together the syrup and
gochujang to make a glaze.
Heat the grill to high. Grill the
bacon until crispy, then brush
with the glaze and grill for
a few minutes more. Remove
and allow to stiffen up, then
slice into lardons.02 Cook the orzo in plenty
of boiling salted water until
al dente, adding the peas for
the last 3 min and the
asparagus for the last minute.
Carefully drain the whole lot in
a large sieve or colander and
run under cold water to stop
it from cooking. Pick out the
asparagus and finely chop the
stems, leaving 4cm tips intact.03 In a saucepan, warm your
broth to a gentle boil with the
miso, spring onions, ginger,
sugar, sea salt and pepper. Turn
it down to just below a simmer
to infuse for a few minutes.
Taste and season with lemon
juice until the broth is nicely
piqued. Spoon the orzo and
peas into bowls and top with
the chopped asparagus and
tips. Add the broth and garnish
with the herbs and a drizzle
of olive oil. Scatter over the
bacon, or serve alongside. LUKE J ALBERT FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE