WE WERE wondering what to write about for this week’s column when the phone rang. It was the farmer from Claremont Farm, in Wirral, offering us some of his first crop of asparagus which has just this week ripened ready for picking. Problem solved!
We love asparagus and always make the most out of it in the few weeks of the year when it’s in season in Britain. You can buy it throughout the rest of the year, too, but it will probably have travelled thousands of miles from Peru to get here, which isn’t good for the planet or the flavour.
Here in Liverpool, we’re in prime position to get the very best of the British crop when they go on sale with farms from both Wirral and Formby offering excellent spears., probably the best in the country in fact.
This recipe for Asparagus Soup is a luxurious way to start any dinner party and you can always make it in advance and warm it up on the night.
To serve four, take two bunches of Claremont Farm asparagus, 110 g (4 oz) unsalted butter, 3 fl oz (100ml) double cream, 1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan and a little salt and pepper to taste.
Cut each asparagus stalk into three pieces and separate them into tips, middles and bases. Rinse the bases under a tap to remove and grit that may still be on them and roughly chop. Place in a sauce pan with just enough water to cover them, roughly half a pint.
Bring the water to the boil, then leave to simmer for ten minutes. When cooked, strain and discard the asparagus, reserving the water for stock.
In a large heavy-bottomed pan, fry the middles of the asparagus in the butter until they start to soften but are still green, then add to the reserved stock and simmer for ten minutes. Blitz the asparagus and stock in a blender for five minutes until smooth, adding the cream, salt and pepper along the way. Now strain the soup using a sieve.