Ingredients
| 2 large eggs | |
| 150ml double cream | |
| zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon | |
| 60g grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve | |
| 30 asparagus spears | |
| handful of edible wild flowers, to serve | |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
The Venetians have a love affair with asparagus that dates back to 200BC. It grows so well along the riverbanks in the Veneto and so is on every menu during the spring time. Asparagus truly is celebrated in Venice more than anywhere else I know.
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Instructions
| 1. | To create a bain-marie, bring a saucepan of water to a simmer, then set a heatproof bowl over the top of the pan. |
| 2. | Once hot, add the eggs and a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth. You must keep whisking and keep the heat low to avoid the eggs scrambling. |
| 3. | Add the cream, lemon zest and juice and whisk continuously until you have a thick sauce. |
| 4. | Remove the bowl from the heat, add the parmesan and seasoning, then set aside. |
| 5. | To cook the asparagus, snap the very bottom ends off at their natural breaking point by bending the spears and then peel the ends to make them look neat and tidy. |
| 6. | Plunge the spears into a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook until tender. This will depend very much on the size and age of the asparagus. Remove the asparagus. |
| 7. | Gently reheat the sauce if necessary. |
| 8. | Serve the asparagus topped with the sauce and garnished with some extra parmesan and a few wild flowers to finish. Enjoy. |
An extract from Cucina
del Veneto by Ursula
Ferrigno, published
by Ryland Peters &
Small. Photography
by Clare Winfield ©
Ryland Peters & Small.
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