This is a great little dish inspired by spring and easy entertaining. It’s great to prepare in advance and assemble just before you sit down to eat, but will be sure to impress you guests. It’s easier than it looks and takes 10mins!

Serving for 4

Ingredients

• 1lb of asparagus

• 2 medium or 1 large shallot

• Olive Oil

• Salt

• Pepper

• Parmesan Cheese, preferably in whole form

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Microgreens (optional)

Instructions

1. Start by getting a 12″ fry pan on the stove with water on med-high, yes we’re boiling water in a pan – The less dishes to clean the better. Season the water with 1tsp salt.

2. Mince your shallot

3. Get a small pan on the stove, on low heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and minced shallots. These will cook slowly over the next 6-7 minutes and get soft and smell delicious. If you see them “browning” the pan is too hot. Check on this occasionally and give it a stir.*

4. Trim the asparagus, a trick to know how much to cut: snap one piece by hand and use that as a guide to cut the rest. It’ll naturally snap where it’s fresh.

*stir your shallots*

5. Get a large bowl, fill with water and a few cubes of ice, you will need enough water to submerge you asparagus once cooked.

*stir your shallots*

6. By now your water should be simmering, drop your asparagus in for 60 seconds – no more! It should be bright green when you take it out. Drop it in the ice water immediately and leave it there until later.

 60 secs, and done! bright green still.

7. Your shallots should be nice and soft by now. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove. Add 1-1/2 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar to the shallots-oil, black pepper and more olive oil if you want. Mix it together- this is your dressing!

 brown but not burnt.

8. Get out your plates and some paper towel. Remove your asparagus and give it a good wrap and light squeeze with the paper towel to get the water off. Plate about 5-6 pieces per plate for an salad course.

//if you are making this in advance, you can plate you asparagus per serving later but get it out of the water now before storing in the fridge//

9. Use a spoon and drizzle the dressing on the asparagus. Make sure to get it spread out and a few “drops” on the empty part of the plate, not only on the asparagus. The spoon will help prevent you from over dressing it or making a sloppy plate.

10. If you are using microgreens, place a few across the whole plate. Alternatively, you could use crushed nuts: pistachios, walnuts, pecans or almonds would work well.

11. Use a vegetable peeler and shave pieces of parmesan to finish the plate. I don’t put any extra salt on the asparagus after it’s cooked because the parm is very salty. If you don’t/can’t use parm, make sure to sprinkle a little salt on the dish instead.

There is so much you can do with this dish, and make it for all the meals of the day!

You can add hard boiled egg and more asparagus to this if you want to make this a lunch entree. Or a poached egg to turn it into a brunch dish. Serve it on top of cous cous and sub in roasted whole shallots to make it a vegetarian entree!