Читать книгу Made in Italy: Food and Stories - Giorgio Locatelli - Страница 37

For one month of the year only – April – we get wonderful, early, thick white asparagus from Friuli in the Northeast of Italy, but otherwise we only make this dish when the green asparagus is in season from late April to mid-June. Such a short time, but an exciting one, especially in Italy. For ten months of the year you have no asparagus at all, then suddenly millions of kilos, then none again, so during this precious period there are large fairs in all the growing regions, with every restaurant serving asparagus. It is no good eating tasteless asparagus all year round, flown hundreds of miles from other countries – where is the magic in that?

Sometimes, especially in London hotels, I see restaurants using little asparagus tips to decorate a dish of something else entirely, such as meat or fish. I consider that an insult – a great misuse of a fantastic flavour. Asparagus should be the entire dish – a large portion served with eggs, Parmesan, butter, or a savoury zabaione made with white wine. That’s the way to eat asparagus.

Good, fresh asparagus should be firm. If you bend a spear in the shop or at the market when no one is looking, it should snap in the natural place just below halfway – if it simply bends and doesn’t snap, then it isn’t fresh. Some people also say that only really fresh asparagus will squeak if you rub the spears together.

It is best to use a griddle pan for this recipe – or you could grill the spears on a barbecue. However, if you prefer to blanch your asparagus, divide it into bunches of five or six spears and tie with string, to prevent the tips getting bashed and broken. Then stand the bundles in a tall pan of boiling salted water, keeping the tips above the water so they will steam gently thanks to the heat below and the flavour will be stronger.

Often people say that once the asparagus is cooked you should plunge it into iced water to stop it cooking further, but I think it is better to take the spears out of the water about a minute before they are ready (after about 4-6 minutes, depending on thickness).

Untie them, wrap them in a wet cloth and then let them finish cooking as they cool down naturally at room temperature – the colour might not be quite so bright but the flavour will be better, as the spears won’t soak up the cold water, which would dull the flavour. If you like, you can cook the asparagus a few hours in advance, but make sure you leave it at room temperature. If you put it into the fridge, again you will deaden the taste. Trim off the woody bases from the asparagus spears. Preheat a ridged griddle pan and grate the Parmesan.

20—24 medium-sized asparagus spears

about 100g Parmesan

100ml extra-virgin olive oil

4 eggs

2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves

4 tablespoons Shallot vinaigrette (see page 52)

2 tablespoons Giorgio’s vinaigrette (see page 51)

small bunch of chives, chopped

salt and pepper

Lay the spears in a row with the tips level and divide them into groups of 3 or 4 – however many you can get a cocktail stick through easily – then very gently secure them with the cocktail sticks (this makes it easier to turn them).

Brush the asparagus with some of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then put the spears on the hot griddle for a couple of minutes on each side, until they are tender but still slightly crunchy. If you think they are not cooked enough but might become too charred, take the pan off the heat and cover with foil – then they will continue to cook gently for a little longer.

While the asparagus is still warm, transfer to a plate, drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan. Cover with cling film and leave for about an hour for the flavours to infuse.

Boil the eggs for 6-7 minutes, cool under running water, then shell and push through a fine sieve. Keep on one side.

Season the salad leaves and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the Shallot vinaigrette and Giorgio’s vinaigrette.

Arrange the asparagus spears on serving plates. Sprinkle over the sieved eggs, together with the remaining Shallot vinaigrette. Pile up the salad on top, sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan and finish with the chopped chives.