Pan Fried Duck

CELEBRATE the start of summer by rustling up a simple yet delicious dish of British asparagus. The first spears appear at the end of April, but the season lasts just eight short weeks, so feast while you can.

"My father had about a quarter of an acre of asparagus in the garden," says celebrity chef Rachel Green. "It had a beautiful purple tinge, and the flavour was amazing.

"I'm passionate about cooking and eating seasonally. Asparagus tastes so much better, sweeter, more intense, when you have waited for the first crop of the season, and you look forward so much to the next year when you have just eaten the last.

"A platter of steamed asparagus, and a pot of yellow homemade hollandaise is an English heaven."

These delicious recipes from TV's flying chef will help you make the most of this wonderful veg.

Pan Fried Duck Breast with Asparagus & Toasted Sesame Soy Dressing - Serves 4

4 duck breasts

2 bundles British asparagus, trimmed

Asparagus and crab linguine

Cooked noodles, to serve

Dressing:

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

5 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp Japanese cooking wine

2cm ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 lemon, juiced

Score the skin on the duck breasts in a criss-cross, making sure you don't go through to the flesh. Place the duck, skin-side down in a heavy-based cold frying pan, place on a medium heat and cook slowly for approximately 5 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden brown. Turn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add trimmed asparagus and cook 4 -5 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together.

To serve, divide asparagus between four warmed serving plates, slice each duck breast into three and place on top of the asparagus. Place cooked noodles to the side of the duck and spoon over the dressing to finish.

Hot tips

Duck is the only meat you should cook in a cold pan as this helps to melt the fat in the skin so it becomes crispy. No oil should be added to the pan as there is plenty in the skin. It is necessary to use Japanese soy sauce as this has a completely different flavour from Chinese soy sauce.

Asparagus and Crab Linguine, with Parsley & Lemon Butter Sauce - Serves 4-6

300g dried linguine

1 tbsp olive oil

2 freshly dressed crabs (meat taken out of shells)

1 bundle of British asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths

100g butter

3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp chives, finely chopped

1 onion peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

50ml vegetable stock

1 lemon, juiced

Cook the linguine in plenty of boiling salted water for approximately 10-12 minutes. Drain the majority of the water and add the olive oil, stir through the pasta and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan, add the onion and asparagus and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sweat over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes then add the chilli and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the crab along with the vegetable stock and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley, chives and lemon juice then add the pasta and make sure all the ingredients are mixed together thoroughly. Season if necessary to taste and serve immediately.

Cream of Asparagus Soup with Poached Egg - Serves 4

2 bundles British asparagus, trimmed

1 leek, washed and trimmed

50g butter

400ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 tbsp double cream

1 tbsp olive oil

4 medium eggs, poached

Cut the asparagus into 3cm lengths. Reserve the tips and set aside. Halve the leek lengthways and cut into 1cm pieces.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the leek and asparagus. Sauté for 3 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the asparagus is soft and cooked through.

Blend the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and return to the pan. Add the double cream and warm through.

Meanwhile, toss the asparagus tips in the olive oil, and heat a ridged griddle pan. Griddle the asparagus for 2 minutes. Serve the soup in warmed soup bowls, topping each bowl with a lightly poached egg and some asparagus tips.

Hot tips

When poaching the eggs put them into boiling, salted water with a dash of vinegar as this helps to keep the egg together. The eggs can be poached in advance and placed in a bowl of cold water. Then when the eggs are required they can be dropped back into boiling water. Soup is the only way that asparagus can be frozen.

Toasted Pitta Bread with Asparagus, Fried Halloumi Cheese and Hummus - Serves 4

2 bundles British asparagus, trimmed

4 wholemeal pitta breads

1 tbsp olive oil

1 packet halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm slices

200g hummus

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped

2 limes, juiced

Handful coriander, finely chopped

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the asparagus. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the asparagus is just cooked through. Drain, refresh under cold running water and drain again.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the halloumi cheese for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown. Mix together the red onion, tomatoes, lime juice and coriander and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Toast the pitta breads and split in half.

Divide the asparagus between the warm pitta breads and add a large spoonful of hummus. Place the halloumi cheese on top and finish with a generous spoonful of the tomato and onion salsa.

11:07am Monday 28th April 2008

Toasted pitta with asparagus, halloumi and hummus

Asparagus soup

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