“This is a great combination of flavours. I like to whip the crowdie cheese to make it creamier and smoother, and the oven-dried tomatoes give it a rich burst of flavour.”
Serves 2
Prep time 20 minutes; cooking time: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours for drying the tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
26 spears of British asparagus
10 mixed cherry tomatoeS
A few thyme leaves
2 heaped tablespoons of crowdie
A few salad leaves like mustard or watercress
A tablespoon each of dill, tarragon, parsley and basil
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 anchovy fillet, optional
Good salt and pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, plus extra for cooking the tomatoes
METHOD
Heat the oven to 100°C. Place the tomatoes in an oven-proof dish and trickle over a little olive oil, salt, pepper and few thyme leaves. Cook for around 2 hours.
Prepare the asparagus by removing an inch from the bottom of each spear, then peel as if sharpening a pencil.
If you have an electric hand-held whisk, use it to whip the crowdie. If not, just use a normal metal whisk. Once smooth and silky, place into a piping bag.
Make a green sauce by pulsing the dill, tarragon, parsley, basil, mustard, vinegar, anchovy and 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a liquidiser. Season if required.
Next, blanch the prepared asparagus spears in boiling, salted water for 1 minute to take the rawness off them. Then place onto a chargrill pan with a pinch of salt and cook for a few minutes until slightly charred.
To plate up, pipe the crowdie in to 3 spaced-out mounds on each plate, then lay the asparagus on top, and dot the tomatoes around the plate. Top with some green sauce and decorate with a few salad leaves. Serve at once.