How to eat the succulent spears this spring.

It’s funny how the scarcity of things makes us want them even more. Especially when that scarcity is brought about by nature.

This is an ongoing theme for much of the produce we use at my London restaurant Salon, be it elderflowers in spring, gooseberries in summer, blackberries in autumn or rhubarb in winter. Asparagus marks a particularly significant time in the culinary calendar, as it hails the onset of spring and nods to the abundant fertility of summer.

Mr Nicholas Balfe is the founder and head chef at Salon, Brixton

My chefs and I have been buying UK-grown asparagus since the end of April. Ours comes from Portwood Farm in Norfolk, where the owner, Mr Andy Allen, has worked for the past 35 years. He now harvests 300 tonnes of asparagus a week at the peak of season.

He first developed an interest in this highly sort-after – if somewhat curious – vegetable as a child. His grandmother had a mature asparagus plant in her garden, and he can remember picking them as a child. He started his farm back in the early 1980s, and began cultivating asparagus alongside wheat and barley to supplement his income. Over the years, demand has increased tenfold.

But Mr Allen is very aware of how tricky it is to make a living out of asparagus given its short season. “The charm of English asparagus is that it’s so weather dependent”, he says. In theory, the asparagus season lasts from April 20th to Midsummer’s Day, but in reality it is more complicated. This year, Mr Allen and his team at the farm battled against storms to get his first crops ready to harvest before May Day, warming the crops with polythene coverings and praying the occasional patch of sunshine would coax a few early risers out of their winter beds. He also tried some more unconventional methods.

“I bet they don’t stomp up and down the beds in Peru or Spain, willing the spears up and out of the ground,” he says. “But I’ve learned not to get too frustrated. They’ll come when they’re ready.”

The truth is that it is the time it takes English asparagus to grow that makes it a superior product to the asparagus imported from across the world that you see in supermarkets year-round. The soil is heavier in the UK and the heat is subtler, so the maturation process is much longer. This gives a deeper, nuttier, more minerally flavour.

Below, I have created a recipe especially for MR PORTER which hopefully showcases asparagus in the best way possible.

**Grilled Norfolk asparagus salad with smoked almond sauce, Jersey Royals and wild garlic **

_Serves 4 as a starter or side dish _

500g Jersey Royal potatoes, boiled until tender in salted water

12 spears of asparagus, woody end removed

A handful of wild garlic leaves and flowers (you can buy these in farmers markets, or pick your own)

A handful or two of spring herbs, such as dill, chervil, pea shoots, etc (thick stalks removed)

50ml olive oil

30ml sherry vinegar

½ tsp sea salt

100g smoked almonds, roughly chopped

For the almond sauce

200g smoked almonds

1 clove garlic, chopped

200ml cold water

400ml neutral oil, eg, vegetable/rapeseed oil

30 ml sherry vinegar

1 tsp fine salt

First, make the almond sauce. Put the almonds and garlic into a high-speed blender. Turn the power on at a low speed and add half the water and blend into a thick paste. Increase the speed and gradually add the oil and the remainder of the water alternately so you end up with a smooth, glossy sauce. Season with a dash of sherry vinegar and a pinch of fine salt.

Pre-heat a griddle pan, grill or BBQ to a high heat. Carefully grill the Jersey Royals (you might want to use an old sieve if your grill has big gaps between the bars!) until they are nicely coloured and have picked up some smokey flavour. Set aside in a warm place. Next, grill the asparagus so it’s evenly coloured and cooked to your liking. Slice each asparagus spear in half, either lengthways down the middle or across the stem to make lots of different shapes and sizes.

Finely chop the wild garlic leaves, and toss together with any other herbs and leaves you’re using. Toss together with the warm asparagus and Jersey Royals, dressing with olive oil, sherry vinegar and sea salt as you go.

Place some of the almond sauce on the base of the plate, and arrange the salad on top. Top with the chopped almonds and a sprinkling of wild garlic flowers.

salonbrixton.co.uk