Bake: Asparagus cheese muffins, wild garlic flatbreads and Smokey asparagus tart
In Ireland the season is only about 12 weeks long .
The stems of the asparagus rhizome plant are not only good for you, they are very tasty and have quite a unique taste. They are native to the Western coast of Europe from Ireland down to Spain and Portugal.
Stem thickness indicates the age of the plant, with the thicker stems coming from older plants.
Older, thicker stalks can be woody so it is best to choose thin, fresh- looking stems. If the thicker ones are your only option then it is best to discard the first inch or so from the bottom.
I have included three recipes: one for muffins that are a handy lunch snack or afternoon nibble; another for an egg-based tart and the third, a very adaptable flatbread.
Chopped herbs such as parsley or chives can be added to the muffin batter to add extra flavour if you wish or a handful of diced and sautéed onions.
The tart is made using a crisp shortcrust pastry and the flatbread a simple dough.
Again you can experiment with the flavours in either if you wish by adding other herbs or a grating of nutmeg or extra cracked black pepper.
Enjoy the asparagus season!
- 8 stems asparagus, stems cut into 1cm pieces
- 400g self-raising flour
- 200g of cheddar cheese, roughly grated
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 150 ml milk
- 100 ml natural yogurt
- 125g butter, melted
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees and line a muffin tin with 12 bun cases.
Blanch the asparagus pieces in boiling water for a minute or two and set aside.
Stir the flour and cheese together.
Combine the eggs, milk, yogurt, butter and mustard. Season.
Mix the two sets of ingredients together until they form a batter.
Scoop into the bun cases and bake for about 25 minutes until golden on top and baked through.
- 120g of strong flour
- a pinch of sea salt
- 2 tbs of olive oil
- 50 mls of warm water
- 3 tbs of wild garlic pesto
- 12 stems of blanched asparagus
- 2 tbs of ricotta cheese
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl that is large enough to work the dough.
Add the olive oil and the warm water and combine everything using a fork.
Once the dough begins to come together, use your hands to form a soft ball of dough, work it together with your hands for a minute.
You may need to add a little more water to bind the dough.
Remove it onto a flour dusted work surface.
Knead the dough for a further four minutes until smooth.
Set aside to rest for 20 minutes in a bowl covered with clingfilm in a warm place.
Heat your grill to medium.
Divide the dough into two. Roll them into rectangles about 20 cm in length.
Grill the flat breads for about two minutes a side and remove.
Coat with the pesto, asparagus and ricotta and some seasoning. Place back under the grill until lightly golden and serve.
- 150g of plain flour
- a pinch of salt
- 75g of cold butter, cubed
- about 1 tbs of cold water
- 5 eggs, lightly beaten
- 175 mls of milk
- 100g of smoked cheddar cheese, grated
- 3 smoked streaky rashers, sliced and lightly fried
- 300g of asparagus
- a little sprinkling of sweet paprika
Heat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 35cm x 12cm rectangular tart tin.
To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a bowl. Rub butter into flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Using a fork add the water to bring the pastry together. You may need to add a little more to bind the mixture.
Cover the pastry with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least a half an hour.
Roll out the pastry to fit the tin and gently press down, put parchment paper on top of the pastry and blind bake the tart for 15 minutes and set aside to cool.
In the meantime, whisk the eggs and milk together. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the pastry case, then add the rashers.
Pour the egg mix on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place the asparagus on top and allow it to sink in.
Bake in your oven for 30 minutes or until it has egg set. Sprinkle with some sweet and smoky paprika.
