asparagus

British asparagus is in season right now and I couldn't resist buying some this weekend. This recipe is super easy and there's hardly any effort involved.

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus

1 fat clove garlic, whole

salt & pepper

splash dry vermouth or white wine

knob of butter

juice of half a lemon

1. Snap each asparagus spear so that you've removed the woody base. Place the spears in a wide pan that has a lid, add the garlic, vermouth, butter salt and pepper. Cover with the lid then cook over a medium heat for around 8 minutes or until the spears are cooked through.
2. Finish off by squeezing over the lemon juice and adjusting the seasoning as needed. Keep the cooking juices and drizzle over the top of the asparagus when serving. This was particularly good with some gridled tuna steaks and boiled new potatoes. 

butter bean & potato mash

This is a great side dish and with the addition of the pureed butter beans you get a slightly more healthy version of regular mashed potatoes. I most recently made this to go with my blue cheese meatloaf.

Ingredients
400g can of butter beans, drained
approx 800g potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic (optional)
50g butter
splash of milk

1. Put your potatoes on to boil until soft and while they are cooking puree together the butter beans and clove of garlic in a food processor until smooth. Add a splash of water to help the process along if needed.
2. Once the potatoes are soft, drain then mash as usual using the butter and milk and give them a bit of a beating with a wooden spoon to help remove any lumps. 
3. Put the mashed potatoes over a gentle heat then stir in the pureed butter beans and garlic stirring to combine. Serve once the mixture is heated through. 

award winning potato, rosemary and onion layer bake

The size of pan you use is not crucial here but it will effect the cooking time and how crispy your layer bake is. This recipe would also work with any number of different herbs such as thyme, marjoram, oregano or a mixture. You could also change it up a bit using a flavoured salt or throwing in some lemon zest for a summery twist. Once you've got the basic technique just go for it and feel free to experiment.

I challenge you to not be salivating when you smell how good it is while cooking!

Ingredients
750g potatoes - it's up to you whether you peel them or not, I prefer them with the skins on.
2 medium onions
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary finely chopped
4 tbsp butter, duck, goose or bacon fat
salt & pepper

1. Generously butter a 20-30cm spring form cake tin and preheat the oven to 180C Fan. 
2. Finely slice the potatoes and onions using either a mandolin, food processor or sharp knife. The slices need to be very fine, approx 2-3mm so please take care when slicing. Keep the onions and potatoes in separate bowls.
3. Start with a layer of potatoes on the bottom of your tin, followed by a scattering of onions, rosemary, salt and pepper then finish by dabbing with small blobs of butter.
4. Repeat this process until you have used up all your potatoes and onions. I did three layers.
5. Finish off with some extra blobs of butter to enhance the crispiness then place in the oven. I started by leaving it for 30 minutes then going back to check. I ended up cooking it for about 80 minutes in total but this may be different depending on your dish, thickness of potato and your oven. You are looking for a skewer or knife to be inserted easy and yummy crispy, golden brown colours throughout. Don't be alarmed that your layer bake has shrunk though, this is a good thing.