Asparagus is justly called the king of vegetables; it seems to stand regally apart from its neighbours at the vegetable stall with a haughty look.
Asparagus is always expensive; it is difficult to grow, offers poor yields, and each spear is individually harvested.
The Belgians and Dutch deprive it of light to produce white asparagus but I prefer the rich green version.
While imported asparagus is available all year round, the very best is locally grown and available in just May and June.
Asparagus deteriorates within hours so is at its best bought direct from a farmer. Udo and Penny Lange of Ballinroan farm in Wicklow are one of the very few (possibly the only) commercial organic growers of asparagus in the country.
The Langes can be found at Brighton Square in Terenure on a Thursday or on Saturdays at St. Andrews Centre on Pearse St., and the Co-Op at Newmarket, off Cork Street.
To prepare asparagus snap or cut off the woody ends and peel each spear from below the tip down to the end. The spears are steamed or boiled, or you can cook them on a griddle pan. Whichever method you use, be very careful not to overcook them – 6-8 minutes should be plenty depending on thickness.
Once cooked you can wrap the spears in ham, or prosciutto; drizzle with olive oil and grate on some goat’s cheese or Parmesan and warm in the oven; or simply dip the spears in melted butter or hollandaise and eat with your fingers.
Asparagus With Mornay Sauce (serves 4)
Cook two bunches of asparagus as described above and plunge in cold water.
Heat 250ml of full fat milk on the cooker. Meanwhile melt 40g butter in a pan, add 40g of flour and stir until it comes together, frying for 60 secs.to cook the flour. Add the hot milk, salt and pepper and whisk vigorously until smooth. Add 100g of grated Mossfield Organic cheese (or Gruyère) and stir until melted.
Place the cooked asparagus in a baking dish, and barely cover with the sauce. Grate on some Parmesan cheese and heat at 200oC for 10 minutes.
