Asparagus Feuilletés
When a maître d'
in a smart restaurant, full of flourish and foreign inflections, is pushing the
fresh 'asparagoose', there is only one question to be
asked: is it English? Because English asparagus is without
any doubt the best in the world. I once asked my friend, who isn't
English himself but imports exotic fruits and vegetables from around the world,
did he agree? Quite positively, yes! American is good, Peruvian even better,
but English wins by a mile. Once called 'sparrow-grass', but now affectionately
known in the trade as simply 'grass', asparagus has a
painfully short season in
Just steam it
and pour melted butter
over, or some vinaigrette, or just good olive oil with a
squeeze of lemon.
Perhaps my own favourite suggestion would be to accompany it with a fluffy, foaming
hollandaise, or else, as is in this recipe, to encase it in very thin,
crisp parcels of puff pastry filled with an Italian fonduta
(creamy melted cheese). A lovely starter for a summer's lunch
or supper party, followed by salmon for a main
course, with strawberries
to finish.
Serves : 8 as a First Course
Ingredients:
FOR THE FILLING:
175g / 6oz Gruyère or Fontina Cheese, in one piece
225g / 8oz
Fresh Asparagus
1 Rounded tbsp Freshly Grated Parmesan, plus a
little extra to sprinkle
3 Level tbsp Crème
Fraîche
Few Sprigs Watercress,
to garnish
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
FOR THE PASTRY:
375g Pack Fresh, Ready-Rolled
Puff Pastry
Flour, for dusting when rolling
2 Large Egg
Yolks
1 tbsp Milk
A Little Oil, for greasing
Instructions:
1.
First
remove the pastry from the fridge and let it come to room temperature (about 10
minutes).
2.
Meanwhile,
wash the asparagus
in cold water, then take each stalk in both hands, and bend and snap off the
woody end. Then, arrange the stalks in an opened fan steamer.
3.
Place the
steamer in a frying pan or saucepan, pour in about 1 inch / 2.5cm of boiling
water from the kettle, then add some salt, put a lid on and steam for 2
– 3 minutes, or until they feel tender when tested with a skewer.
4.
After
that, remove them from the steamer and allow them to cool.
5.
Then dry
the stalks with kitchen paper and cut each one into 3, on the diagonal.
6.
Next,
using a small sharp knife, remove the rind from the Fontina
or Gruyère
and cut it into ½ inch / 1cm cubes.
7.
Then, in a
small bowl, mix the Parmesan
and crème fraîche and add some salt and freshly milled black pepper.
8.
Now
carefully unroll the sheet of pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and
cut it in half.
9.
Roll out
one half until it measures 12 x 12 inch / 30 x 30cm and then cut that into 4
squares measuring 6 x 6 inch / 15 x 15cm.
10.
Then
repeat the rolling and cutting with the other piece of pastry, so you end up
with 8 squares in all.
11.
Beat the egg yolks
with the milk.
12.
Next, you
need to carefully brush the edges of 4 of the pastry squares with this mixture.
13.
Then
divide half of the crème fraîche filling between
these 4 pieces of pastry, spooning about a level dessertspoon into the centre
of each square.
14.
Next, lay
about half the quantity of asparagus on top of
the crème fraîche, with several cubes of cheese tucked
in-between.
15.
Now pull
up the opposite corners of each square to meet in the centre like an envelope.
16.
Carefully
pinch the seams together to seal them, and make a small hole in the centre of
each one to allow the steam to escape.
17.
Then,
using a fish slice, transfer the parcels to the baking tray and now make the
other 4.
18.
Once you
have made 8 parcels, cover them with clingfilm and
chill until you are ready to cook them.
19.
Preheat
the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400°F / 200°C.
20.
Then,
brush each one with some of the remaining beaten-egg mix and lightly sprinkle
each one with some Parmesan.
21.
Bake on a
high shelf in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until they are golden brown, and
serve them straightaway, garnished with a few sprigs of watercress.
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