Asparagus - an aphrodisiac?

May heralds the arrival of the first asparagus of the year, a sign that summer is truly underway.

As the weather grows warmer, asparagus spears start poking their heads up above the ground, sometimes inches in one day. From early May, for eight precious weeks, this seasonal delight is abundant. The asparagus season is so tantalizingly brief that it demands that we make the most of it and get our greedy fill while we can.

Earliest records of asparagus trace it back to Greece some 2,500 years ago. The Greeks believed that it possessed medicinal properties and it was also highly prized by the Romans. Asparagus has been grown in England since the sixteenth century and during the nineteenth century it caught on in North America and China.

It was recommended as an aphrodisiac by the herbalist Culpepper who prescribed it ‘to be taken to stir up bodily lust’. If this isn’t enough to convince you to take advantage of asparagus season, then perhaps knowing that asparagus is rich in vitamins, low in calories and contains more folic acid than any other vegetable will have you rushing out to buy this gorgeous veg.

To enjoy asparagus at its best, you really need to get hold of the freshest stems. Check your farm shops and local markets for the best crops.

Like peas, asparagus loses its sweetness the longer it’s out of the ground: the sugars start turning to starch as soon as it’s cut. In an ideal world, you’d put the water on to boil before you went out to cut your crop. If you are not growing your own, store asparagus in the fridge with a damp paper towel wrapped around the bottom of the stalks.

When you are buying asparagus, look for smooth-skinned spears with tight heads, and make sure you inspect the ends – they should look freshly cut, not dried and woody.

So much has been made of getting the thicker end of the stalks tender without overcooking the thinner tips that the process of cooking asparagus has become shrouded in mystery and myth. From tying the bundles up with string so the spears stay immobile to placing them in a tea towel over simmering water, dogma abounds.

Beware the asparagus scare-mongerers – this beautiful vegetable is much easier to cook than they would have you believe. Snap the stems at their most brittle point and discard the woody ends. Plunge into boiling, salted water and simmer for three to four minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks.

They are ready when the tips are tender. Asparagus is also delicious when brushed with oil and cooked on a very hot griddle pan for five minutes.

When it comes to the eating, there is perhaps nothing more delicious than fresh asparagus served with butter or a simple vinaigrette. If you are feeling particularly indulgent, make a hollandaise to go with them and smother the stems in the rich sauce.

At Cookery School, we love using every part of this precious vegetable so we make this wonderful asparagus soup, using the ends to make a flavoursome stock. If you are feeling particularly sustainable, save any leftover bread and tear the loaf into rough bite sized chunks. Drizzle the torn croutons with olive oil before placing in a hot oven for ten minutes, or until they are crisp and golden. Add to the soup before serving.

Asparagus soup

INGREDIENTS
1 very large bunch asparagus (1kg/2lbs4ozs)
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
1 large onion finely chopped or grated 1 cup milk
freshly ground salt and pepper
1 cup asparagus stock (more if required later)
24ozs/750ml chicken or vegetable stock good pinch of nutmeg

METHOD

1. Prepare the asparagus by removing any hard woody pieces. The point at which the asparagus snaps easily, from the tip downwards, is edible and the woody part which is usually discarded can be kept for making stock.

2. Chop the remaining asparagus spears into pieces – on a diagonal if preferred. Cover with water and bring to the boil.

3. Drain off the asparagus and pour the liquid in which the asparagus have cooked over the woody ends and continue to cook these to extract maximum asparagus flavour.

4. Bring these to the boil and then simmer until reduced to about half. Strain and cool.

5. Meanwhile gently fry the onion in the oil until lightly browned. Set aside.

6. In a saucepan, mix together the flour and the oil and slowly add the milk, whisking all the time to ensure that the mixture is lump free. Beat in the asparagus cooking liquid.

7. Then place the saucepan on the cooker and cook until the mixture is thickened.

8. Add the fried onion and the par cooked asparagus pieces to the mixture as well as the chicken stock and continue to cook until the asparagus is tender.

9. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

To find out more about Cookery School and their courses, go to www.cookeryschool.co.uk or call 0207 631 4590.