Readers' Recipe Swap: Asparagus

Nothing suggests the arrival of spring like the first crop of asparagus – and your recipes go way beyond melted butter, with ideas using aioli, arancini and Chinese flavours.I eagerly anticipate the first crop of asparagus. I’ve always believed that nothing beats a few freshly cut spears doused in butter. This spring, though, I’ve enjoyed your experiments with asparagus so much that I’ve started to question myself.Asparagus risotto is always a winner, as MizPepperPot says, but it becomes even more special when turned into arancini. Crisp and oozing, with extra bite from the veg, they were a perfect spring starter with a glass of wine. So too was the beer-battered asparagus from CircusGardener. Despite the punchy aioli, the flavour of asparagus was never lost. Next came Chinese-style asparagus from MarmadukeScarlet, the light but spicy dressing melded beautifully with the robust flavour of the veg.Asparagus grilled with rosemary and maple from Suzanne Anderegg was a real break from the norm, the sweet syrup and aromatic herb lifting rather than overpowering the veg.But when it came to picking a winner, it was a twist on something simple. By winter, the memory of Lepetitoeuf’s grilled asparagus with preserved lemon, and the thought of eating it again, will be all the sunshine I need to get me through to spring.

Asparagus with preserved lemon

You can’t beat a recipe with only two main ingredients! It also works well if you char the lemons for 2 minutes at the end of cooking.
lepetitoeuf, via GuardianWitness

Serves 2 as a starter, 4 as a side dish
1 bunch of asparagus
Olive oil
4 preserved lemons, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper1 Chop the asparagus into bitesize pieces, lightly coat with olive oil, then griddle on full heat until nicely browned.2 Cut the lemons into small pieces, chargrill for 2 minutes, then toss with the asparagus and a hint more olive oil if needed. Season well and serve.

Chinese-style asparagus

Asparagus doesn’t appear much on Chinese menus, apart from in the northern region of Shandong where asparagus is grown. Keep things simple with the salty, savoury flavours of soy and sesame.
MarmadukeScarlet, LondonServes 6-8
1kg asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 5cm pieces
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
A splash of Chinese chilli oil (or Tabasco)
½ tsp toasted sesame seeds1 Cook the asparagus in boiling water for about 1½–2 minutes so it retains some bite and is a bright green colour. Drain and refresh in a bowl of ice-cold water. Cool for a few minutes, then drain and pat dry.2 Whisk the soy sauce and oils together. Pour over the asparagus and toss to ensure it is well-coated. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve at room temperature.

Beer-battered asparagus with lemon and gherkin aioli

The batter in this recipe is beautifully light and delicate, allowing the flavour of the asparagus to shine through.
CircusGardener, via GuardianWitness

Serves 4-6
For the asparagus
20 fresh asparagus spears
75g plain flour
75g cornflour
A pinch of sea salt
200ml beer or lager
2 egg whites
Groundnut oil, for deep frying
Lemon wedges, for servingFor the aioli
2 egg yolks
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
120ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice of a lemon
50g gherkins, finely chopped1 spring onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt1 First make the aioli. Put the egg yolks, garlic and salt in a food processor and blend together until smooth. Keep the processor running on a slow speed and very slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream until it forms a thick sauce, then add the lemon juice to taste.2 Tip the aioli into a bowl then add the chopped gherkin and spring onion.3 Remove any woody stems from the asparagus, steam for 2 minutes then plunge into ice-cold water to stop them cooking. Drain on kitchen paper.4 To make the batter, put the flours, salt and beer in a bowl, and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Using a wooden spoon, add a quarter of the whites to the batter, stir gently to combine, then fold in the rest.5 Fill a large pan with the groundnut oil to a depth of 4cm. Place over a high heat. The oil is ready when a cube of bread turns golden within 30 seconds.6 Dip the asparagus spears into the batter, making sure they are fully coated, then place them carefully into the hot oil. Cook them in batches to prevent the oil temperature dropping. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turning to ensure an even golden-brown colour. Serve hot with the aioli and lemon wedges.

Asparagus, orange, almonds, mint and tarragon salad

This was inspired by a fabulous dish at Morito a couple of weeks ago. If you can’t find green almonds, normal ones will do.
Stefano Vozza, via GuardianWitness

Serves 2
10 stalks of asparagus
Olive oil
Salt
100g broad beans, podded and shelled
10ml lemon juice
20g tarragon, finely chopped
10g mint, finely chopped
15 green almonds, or normal almonds
1 orange (blood orange if possible), segmented
3 radishes, very thinly sliced
100ml yoghurt
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp sumac1 Preheat your grill to the highest temperature, then mix the asparagus with the olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Grill the asparagus for around 5 minutes, turning once, until charred.2 Meanwhile, blanch the broad beans (they should be quite small at this time of year) for 1 minute in salted, boiling water and then drain.3 Mix the asparagus and broad beans together in a bowl with the lemon juice, tarragon and mint. Add more salt if necessary.4 Divide between two bowls and garnish evenly with the almonds, orange and radishes. Drizzle with the yoghurt, sprinkle over the orange zest and sumac and serve immediately.

Asparagus arancini

Asparagus goes so well in a risotto, but the leftovers are the best, especially when made into crispy little arancini.
MizPepperPot, via GuardianWitnessMakes around 16-20
For the risotto
250g risotto rice
1 shallot, chopped
200ml dry white wine
300-500ml hot chicken or veg stock
1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed, chopped
1 large knob of butter
Salt and black pepper
50g parmesan, grated
50g cheddar, gratedFor the arancini
1 mozzarella ball, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
150g breadcrumbs
750ml vegetable oil, for frying1 Fry the shallot in the butter for about 5 minutes, then add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes.2 Add the wine and ⅓ of the stock, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add ⅓ more stock, stir and simmer. Add the chopped asparagus about 10 minutes into the cooking of the rice.3 Pour in the remaining stock, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the liquid is absorbed (add more stock if required) and the rice is soft; it should take about 15 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and cheddar, then leave to cool.4 To make the arancini, stir the chopped mozzarella into the cold risotto, then form the rice into balls, dip into the egg, then breadcrumbs.5 Heat the oil to 180C/350F – until a breadcrumb turns golden in around 30 seconds. Fry the rice balls in the oil for about 3 minutes, until brown and crispy and the mozzarella is gooey, then serve.

Grilled asparagus with rosemary and maple

My favourite way to cook asparagus is to barbecue it. Since it is not exactly BBQ weather, you can grill it instead. This recipe adds the smoky flavour, and it also works well with pecans.
Suzanne Anderegg, via GuardianWitness

Serves 2
250g asparagus
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
30-50g walnuts, chopped1 Preheat a grill to the highest setting and line a baking tray with foil.2 Discard the tough ends of the asparagus and place the tips on the baking tray. Pour the oil on top and roll the asparagus in it to coat it. Drizzle the maple syrup over and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Grill for 10 minutes.3 Remove from the grill and scatter with the chopped walnuts. Give everything a good stir and return to the grill for another 5-7 minutes until the asparagus is starting to brown and the nuts are toasted. Serve at once.AThe winning recipe for grilled asparagus with preserved lemon – simple but tasty, and very reminiscent of spring. Photograph: Jill Mead for the Guardian