Blanched Asparagus, Burrata and Wild Garlic Oil
the first asparagus of spring!
A very good morning to you all! I’m not quite sure where the weeks have gone but I’ve blinked and suddenly it’s spring. The streets in London are blushing pink with magnolia, the ‘seasonal’ shelves in the supermarket are aglow with (premature) Easter eggs, and I even saw an audacious man wearing shorts this week. Seeing London gently unfurl itself from winter I’m reminded, year on year, of just how special this city can be.
There’s been a lot going on recently — between hosting multiple supper clubs, juggling plate orders, filming a new recipe/hosting series, and processing the news that I’ll be moving part-time to Amsterdam from early summer (!), I haven’t found much time to pause and do my usual rambling here.
Given the silly number of updates this end, I’ve decided instead to focus this week’s substack on things I’ve been enjoying recently, from restaurants to aperitifs, to the first asparagus of spring.
Where I’m eating
Perhaps contrary to the impression I give off, I don’t eat out much in London. When I’m feeling a little flush it’s the first thing I will splash out on, but restaurants are generally something that I associate with special occasions. The last couple of weeks, however, have been a bit of an exception. Oscar and I took ourselves for a cheeky weekday lunch at BRAT the other day, as Oscar had the day off work and I was taking the afternoon for myself after a hectic run of late night events. It’s a restaurant that exudes a pared-back elegance from the moment you walk in: a quiet open kitchen, bare tabletops, disposable napkins, dark wood-panelled walls and half-burnt pillar candles on the sills — the only nod towards decoration a tastefully wilted vase of red tulips. The menu gives little away, but there’s not much that you need to know; it’s implicit that everything will be exceptional. We feasted on giant oysters with kumquat and seaweed, a pillow of grilled bread draped in anchovies, beef tartare and bitter leaves, a heavenly puntarelle, castelfranco and crab salad and the best piece of venison I’ve ever eaten, served with burnt bay leaves, apple mustard, buttery smoked potatoes and grilled leafy winter veg. It was, and I cannot emphasise this enough, utterly incredible. The sad end to the tale is that Oscar had a last-minute call put in the diary so we had to barrel out of the restaurant before I got a chance to the look at the pudding menu. Shame, we’ll just have to go back.
What I’m drinking
I’m in a bit of a life-long love affair with aperitivi — both the glorious Italian pre-dinner tradition and the bitter, grown-up drinks associated with it. Vault Aperitivo is an incredible, British-based aperitivo distillery specialising in vermouth, amaro and botanical spirits, run by a brilliant man called Dan. I’ve served his aperitifs at a couple of my supper clubs, most recently at an event in February where we offered Forest Americanos to kick off the evening — a delightfully light, herbaceous combination of Vault’s Forest Red Vermouth, rosemary and orange Bitter and a topping of Idyll pine soda. It ticks the negroni boxes in terms of bitterness, sophistication and colour, but is soo much more complex and botanical (plus it doesn’t knock you sideways early on in the night). I’ve been enjoying the supper club remnants at home with a slice of blood orange, and couldn’t recommend it more for a grown-up start to the evening.
Forest Americano
40ml Forest Red Vermouth
40ml Bitter
Top with Idyll Pine Forest Soda (20-40ml depending on taste)
Garnish: Wedge or twist of blood orange (last of the season!)
Ingredients I’m using
I always enter a bit of a frenzy when blood orange and forced rhubarb arrive on the scene. They’re so short-lived, so delicious and so gloriously colourful (especially in the gloom of February) that I feel the need to consume a year’s worth of both in a matter of weeks. So they’ve been on the menu a lot. But now, as spring arrives, I’m looking to pastures green — early asparagus, artichokes and wild garlic are the ingredients filling my veg daydreams at the moment.
What I’ve enjoyed cooking
And now, (probably what you’re all here for), I’m sharing a very simple recipe for some asparagus that I enjoyed earlier this week. You can serve it as a salad, light lunch or even a starter when you’re hosting, as I think it almost tastes best at room temperature. Wild garlic in March is much milder than later on in the season, so the oil in this recipe is beautifully delicate, lending the asparagus a delightfully fresh, garlicky flavour.
Blanched Asparagus, Burrata and Wild Garlic Oil
Serves 2
1 bunch asparagus, bases trimmed
1 ball of burrata
a large handful of wild garlic leaves, washed and dried
a pinch of salt
75ml neutral oil (I used rapeseed)
a small handful of toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 lemon, zested
Flaky sea salt and black pepper, to taste
In a blender, blitz the wild garlic leaves, salt and oil until you have a sumptuous (if bitty) green sauce. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth for a smooth, green oil. Set aside.
Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 3–4 minutes, depending on thickness, until just tender but still vibrant green. Immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process.
Arrange the asparagus spears on a serving plate. Tear the burrata over the top and drizzle generously with the wild garlic oil. Scatter over the toasted hazelnuts and lemon zest and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired. Enjoy as it is, or with a hunk of a good sourdough, for mopping.
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the recipe (or the ramblings) I’d love to hear your feedback 💛 and please do share the love using the link below.