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| ASPARAGUS
BBQ RECIPE IDEAS |
FOOD
& COOKING ARTICLE |
 Enjoy
a barbecue summer with British Asparagus
Nothing
quite heralds the start of the Great British summer
more than the delicious smell of food sizzling over
hot charcoals and spending time outside in the garden
entertaining family and friends while enjoying the feeling
of warm sunshine on your face.
It
looks as though we are set for another barbecue summer
in the UK and with the recent spell of warm spring weather,
many people have already put their barbecues through
their paces.
But
how much do you know about the origins of the barbecue?
Here are some little known facts that you can impress
your assembled guests with:
- The
word barbecue is derived from barbacoa
a style of fire-pit cooking which originated in the
Caribbean and South America.
-
In the UK we get through an amazing 40,000 tonnes
of barbecue charcoal and charcoal briquettes every
year – most of which comes from unsustainable
sources.
-
Barbecuing is becoming more spontaneous – 5 years
ago 70% of barbecues were pre-planned affairs, now
that figure is below 50%. While most barbecues take
place at the weekend, the off-the-cuff after
work barbecue is becoming increasingly popular.
With
National BBQ Week starting later this month (30 May
– 5 June 2011) it is time to break out the briquettes
if you haven’t already done so, fire up the barbie
and get marinating and grilling as if your life depended
on it!
Barbecuing
can be as simple as just throwing a few sausages onto
a hot grill but there is so much more to barbecues than
boring bangers and burgers – there are endless
opportunities to create more exciting meals that will
delight and inspire your barbecue guests. And don’t
think the star of the show has to be meat – it’s
just as simple to cook vegetarian feasts on the barbeque,
so start experimenting!
Why
not try some of the innovative barbecue recipes featuring
British Asparagus which many believe is the finest in
the world. But you will have to hurry, it is only available
for a limited time and the asparagus season ends on
the 21st of June, so buy those wonderful bundles and
get barbecuing!
 Barbecuing
can be as simple as just throwing a few sausages onto
a hot grill but there is so much more to barbecues than
boring bangers and burgers – there are endless
opportunities to create more exciting meals that will
delight and inspire your barbecue guests. And don’t
think the star of the show has to be meat – it’s
just as simple to cook vegetarian feasts on the barbeque,
so start experimenting!
Why
not try some of the innovative barbecue recipes featuring
British Asparagus which many believe is the finest in
the world. But you will have to hurry, it is only available
for a limited time and the asparagus season ends on
the 21st of June, so buy those wonderful bundles and
get barbecuing!
BBQ
ASPARAGUS RECIPE IDEAS:
All recipes courtesy of www.british-asparagus.co.uk
BARBECUED ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN AND A LEMON AND MINT
BUTTER
 Ingredients
2 bundles of British asparagus
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
125g unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
50g parmesan shavings
Method
- Trim
the asparagus as necessary.
- Place
on a baking sheet or in a bowl and toss with the oil,
making sure all the asparagus is coated.
- Season
with sea salt and black pepper.
-
Put the asparagus on the grill rack of the barbecue
and cook for approximately 2 minutes each side, until
it is lightly charred.
- Remove
from the barbecue and divide between 4 serving plates.
-
Melt the butter on a low heat.
- Add
the lemon juice and chopped mint leaves.
- Pour
over the asparagus, season with sea salt and black
pepper and sprinkle with the parmesan shavings.
Serves
4
BARBECUED
ASPARAGUS ROCKET GOATS CHEESE AND PINE NUT SALAD
 Ingredients
2 bundles of British asparagus
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
100g rocket, washed
150g goat’s cheese
75g pine nuts, toasted
For the dressing:
3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp runny honey
Method
- Trim
the asparagus as necessary.
- Place
on a baking sheet or in a bowl and toss with the 2
oil, making sure all the asparagus is coated.
- Season
with sea salt and black pepper.
- Put
the asparagus on the grill rack of the barbecue and
cook for approximately 2 minutes each side, until
it is lightly charred.
- Remove
from the barbecue and set aside.
- To
make the dressing mix together all of the ingredients
and whisk well.
-
Divide the rocket between 4 plates.
- Top
with the barbecued asparagus.
- Drumble
over the goat’s cheese, sprinkle with the toasted
pine nuts and drizzle over the dressing.
-
Serve immediately with warm, crusty bread!
Serves
4
CHARGRILLED
BRITISH ASPARAGUS AND SPRING ONIONS WITH LIME AND SEA
SALT
 Ingredients
1 bunch spring onions
1 tbs sunflower or groundnut oil
1 lime
Flaked sea salt (such as Maldon)
Method
- Heat
a griddle pan to hot, about 10 minutes or light the
barbeque
- Wash
the asparagus and trim off the wooden end.
- Wash
the spring onions and peel off the outer layer, if
necessary, leaving the root attached.
- Brush
the vegetables with a little sunflower or groundnut
oil and lay across the smoking hot griddle or barbecue.
- Cook
for about 5 - 7 minutes, turning occasionally, or
until the asparagus and spring onions are tender and
blackened a little. The thin ends of the spring onions
will get quite chargrilled and crispy – this
is fine, they will taste great.
-
Remove to a serving plate, squeeze over the juice
of the lime and season generously with flakes of sea
salt.
Serves
4
GIZZI ERSKINE’S BBQ RIB EYE WITH GRILLED BRITISH
ASPARAGUS, TERIYAKI AND TOGERASHI
 Ingredients
For the Teriyaki sauce:
75ml soy sauce
75ml mirin, Japanese sweet rice wine
75ml sake
1 tbsp sugar
For the rest:
2 x 150g rib eye steaks
1 tbsp vegetable oil plus a dash more for cooking
the British asparagus
sea salt and black pepper
1 packet of British asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
a pinch of Togerashi seasoning (optional, you could
use cayenne pepper)
White and black sesame seeds to serve
Method
- To
make the Teriyaki sauce, combine all ingredients in
a saucepan.
- Put
it on medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Turn
the heat down to low and simmer for a couple minutes.
- Stop
the heat and cool the mixture.
- It
is now ready to use but if you have any left you can
store the sauce in a clean bottle in the fridge.
- Rub
the steaks with the oil, salt and pepper.
- Grill
the steaks on a hot barbeque for 2 minutes on each
side so that they are medium rare.
- While
the beef is resting rub the British asparagus with
a little oil then lay on the barbeque grill for 2
- 3 minutes, turning every now and then until they
start to soften but still have ‘bite’ and
have little chars on them.
- Split
the asparagus between two plates.
- Carve
the steaks into 1 cm strips and lay on top of the
Asparagus pouring over the meat juices left from resting.
- Cover
each steak with a few tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce
and sprinkle with the Togerashi if using and sesame
seeds.
Serves
2
TIFFANY
GOODALL’S BARBEQUED BRITISH ASPARAGUS DIPPED IN
OOZING CAMEMBERT
 Ingredients
250g Camembert
Half a bundle (approximately 110g) British asparagus
1 tsp olive oil
Method
- Preheat
the oven to 210°C.
- Remove
all the packaging and then place the Camembert on
a baking tray and put in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile,
preheat the BBQ.
- Toss
the British asparagus in the olive oil and then add
to the hot BBQ with a good bit of seasoning.
- BBQ
for a couple of minutes on both sides until they are
nicely charred.
- Remove
the Camembert from the oven and assemble on a board
or plate with the British asparagus next to it, use
a spoon to make a hole in the top and then just gloriously
dip your spears of British asparagus into the melted
Camembert . . . Yummy!
Serves
2 as a snack or starter
www.british-asparagus.co.uk
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