Recipe of the month: Charred asparagus spears, Yarg fondue and nettle pangrattato

Make the most of the short asparagus season with this delicious recipe for charred spears, dipped in a rich and moreish Yarg fondue.

If you’re feeling adventurous serve with tempura nettle leaves for an added ‘wow’ factor!

Serves 2-4

We used local asparagus and foraged wild nettles. Yarg is an award-winning Cornish cheese which is wrapped in nettles to create a kind of edible wrap. It’s fresh, lemony and creamy and works beautifully in this fondue.

Ingredients

For the Yarg fondue:

• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 75ml white wine
• 50g cheddar, grated
• 100g Yarg cheese, grated
• 1 tsp cornflour
• A small splash of grappa

For the pangrattato:

• olive oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp dried white breadcrumbs (preferably panko breadcrumbs)
• 2 tbsp blanched nettles (you’ll need to pick around 100g)
• Rind of half a lemon

For the asparagus:

• 10 asparagus spears
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

For the fondue:

1. Rub the inside of a fondue pot or small saucepan vigorously with the garlic halves. Add the wine and bring to the boil.
2. Toss the cheeses in a bowl with the cornflour until coated. Lower the heat and gradually stir in the cornflour-coated cheeses, a handful at a time, until melted. Keep stirring constantly.
3. Simmer gently while stirring until the mixture is smooth and glossy, taking care not to let the fondue burn or boil. Stir in the grappa. Either keep the fondue warm ready to serve, or cool and store until ready to use.

For the pangrattato:

1. To blanch your picked nettles, wearing gloves place the nettle tops into boiling water and cook for 1 min then remove into iced water. Once cool, place on a clean tea towel to drain off the excess water.
2. Once drained, chop finely.
3. Heat 1–2 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan and quickly fry the breadcrumbs until golden-brown. Add the chopped nettles and lemon rind and check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary.
4. Tip into a bowl and set aside.

For the asparagus:

1. When you’re ready to cook the asparagus, snap off the firm woody ends and drizzle with olive oil to coat the spears, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat a griddle pan over a medium to high heat. When the pan is smoking, add the seasoned asparagus and griddle for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Alternatively if you’re barbecuing, ensure your barbecue or wood oven is up to temperature before laying the spears on a grill for a few minutes until tender and lightly charred.

To serve, lay the asparagus spears on a serving board or plate, scatter with the pangratatto and tempura nettle leaves if using. Serve with the warm fondue as a dipping sauce.