that I most look forward to, and I like to take advantage of its fleeting season as often as possible. Bagna cáuda originates from Piedmont in Italy and is traditionally a pungent sauce made with anchovies, olive oil and garlic. It pairs so well with the delicate flavour and texture of asparagus. Heaped with freshly shaved Parmesan, it is a dish I can eat over and over again.
SERVES: 4–6 AS A STARTER | PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR
2–3 bunches of asparagus (500–750g), tough ends trimmed
Parmesan, shaved, to serve
FOR THE BAGNA CÁUDA
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 shallots, peeled and halved
8 good-quality anchovy fillets in oil
150ml olive oil
50g butter
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 To make the bagna cáuda, place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over low heat, bring to a very low simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour, until the garlic is soft. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth with a stick blender.
2 Remove the woody ends from the asparagus and blanch in a pan of salted water for 3 minutes, then drain.
3 Place the asparagus in a large serving dish, drizzle liberally with the bagna cáuda and top with Parmesan shavings. Serve immediately.
MARCUS’ TIP:
If you are not a fan of anchovies, replace them with 8 large pitted Gordal olives, finely chopped.
Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes with Prunes, Lentils and Sour Cream
Jerusalem artichokes are one of the vegetables that people seem most averse to cooking with at home. This recipe should turn you into an instant fan of this root vegetable – when roasted until dark and crispy, it has a wonderful sweet nuttiness that is rather addictive. We grow them on the farm and I didn’t know what they looked like in the ground – they’re massive! The prunes add sweetness, the lentils add earthiness and the sour cream brings welcome acidity to this rich dish.
SERVES: 4–6 | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR
150g puy or green lentils, rinsed
2.5kg Jerusalem artichokes, well scrubbed
4 tbsp vegetable oil
100g pitted prunes
½ tsp ground cinnamon
200ml milk
150g sour cream
½ bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
½ tsp sumac
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7 and cook the lentils according to the packet instructions.
2 Place the scrubbed artichokes and vegetable oil in a large roasting tray, toss to coat the artichokes in the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40–50 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes, stirring them every 10 minutes, until they are dark golden and crispy on the outside and the centres are soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then cut the artichokes in half and place them back in the roasting tray to keep warm, adding a little more salt and pepper.
3 While the artichokes are roasting, put the prunes and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cover with enough water to just submerge the prunes, add a little salt, bring to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until the prunes have absorbed the water. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
4 Take a quarter of the roasted artichokes and place them in a large saucepan with the milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes until the artichokes have absorbed the milk. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth, adding a little more salt if needed.
5 To serve, spoon the warm artichoke purée onto a large serving plate. Top with the warm lentils (reheated if necessary), then the remaining roasted artichokes. Dot the prune purée around and spoon over the sour cream. Finish with the chopped coriander, sprinkle over the sumac and serve immediately.
Carrots with Pine Nuts and Tarragon
Carrots are a vegetable we sometimes take for granted, but they are so full of flavour, colour and texture. Forming the base of any good classic gravy, they add a sweetness unlike most other vegetables. To show them off at their best here, I serve them three ways: roasted, pickled and just lightly seasoned, and make a vinaigrette from the carrot juice. It all adds up to create a very delicious dish. The flavour combination with the tarragon is a simple marriage made in heaven.
SERVES: 4 | PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 25 MINUTES
12 large or 16 medium bunched carrots, washed, tops removed (a few tops reserved)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 star anise
120g pine nuts
2 tbsp picked tarragon leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE PICKLING LIQUOR
100ml white wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
100ml carrot juice (fresh or shop-bought)
3 coriander seeds
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
50ml olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 7.
2 Cut half of the carrots in half, lengthways. Thinly slice the remaining carrots and put half aside to pickle.
3 To make the pickling liquor, place the vinegar and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put half the sliced carrots in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot pickling liquor over the carrots and set aside.
4 Coat the halved carrots with the vegetable oil and season well with salt, pepper and half of the star anise, grated over the carrots using a Microplane or other fine grater. Place in a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden, tossing them once halfway through the cooking time.
5 Place the pine nuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until a deep golden colour, shaking them halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside 20g for sprinkling over the finished dish and place the rest in a small blender. Season with salt, add 2–4 tablespoons of water and blitz to form a purée – it should have a slightly looser texture than peanut butter. Set aside.
6 To make the vinaigrette, put the carrot juice in a medium saucepan with the coriander seeds and remaining half of the star anise and bring to the boil. Simmer rapidly for a few minutes, until the liquid has reduced to around 25ml, then remove from the heat and strain into a small bowl. Mix in the rice wine vinegar and olive oil, and season with salt.
7 To assemble the dish, place the remaining sliced carrots in a bowl and dress them with the carrot vinaigrette. Spoon the pine nut purée onto 4 plates. Top with the warm roasted carrots, pickled carrots and dressed carrots. Finish with