Pan Charred Asparagus

It's an asparagus bonanza so thought I'd share something I was taught at work:

Bunch asparagus

light neutral veg oil, sunflower is best

salt, sea salt is really nice

extra virgin olive oil (EVO)

white pepper.

Snap the bottoms off each asparagus spear where it wants to snap naturally.  This ensures you're using the part that's still fresh.

Take a large heavy bottomed fry pan and heat it up.  Really crank it.  Then add about 1 tblsp veg oil.  The veg oil will come to heat very quickly and you use a lot less.

Lay the asparagus spears down evenly in the pan so each one is touching the bottom (you may have to do more than one batch).

Keep the heat up.  

When the spears brown on the bottom turn them over once so they char on the other side.

Lift them out when done and sprinkle a little sea salt on them while they're still hot.  This will bring out more sweetness in them.

Dress with a little EVO and white pepper.

It's a sexy appetiser with white wine and fresh bread.  

Kez 

:-)

In which I am freaked out by the turmeric...

OK so I know fresh turmeric is the hot topic this week and you are probably all wondering what I'm doing with mine (or not because you actually have lives!).  Honestly I'm a little frightened and I've been avoiding it - every time I walk past the fridge it calls out like some kind of Poe like heart beating under the floor boards.  Thankfully Kristen's post demystified it all a little for me but the curry recipe pushed me to the precipice of my cooking comfort zone (you are about as likely to see fenugreek seeds in my kitchen as you are to spot a snow leopard in the wild).

So in the spirit of avoidance, today I post for you a recipe that uses some of the more commonplace veg in your box around this time of year - asparagus and spinach.

I've heavily adapted (and vegetarianised) this recipe from one I found here.

Asparagus Tart

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten to blend
• 450g slender asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 bunch spinach (about 200g)
• 1 onion
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut off 1/2-inch-wide strip from all 4 sides of the pastry sheets. Brush strips on 1 side with some of beaten egg, then press strips, egg side down, onto edges of pastry to adhere, forming raised border. Brush border with egg; reserve remaining beaten egg. Transfer to baking sheet. Chill while preparing filling.

Saute onion.  Add spinach and stir until wilted.  Set aside.

Steam asparagus just until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Cut off top 2 to 3 inches of asparagus tops; set aside. Coarsely puree remaining asparagus stalks in processor. Add remaining beaten egg, ricotta, 3 teaspoons oil, and salt;process until thick puree forms. Transfer to bowl; stir in spinach and onion and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese; season with pepper. Spread mixture evenly over pastry. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Toss asparagus tips with remaining 1 teaspoon oil; arrange tips over filling.

Bake tart until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I promise to post again when I finally take up the turmeric gauntlet.

xx Susan (you can find me more regularly over here)

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