Hash browns with grilled asparagus
Hash browns are a typical American breakfast dish, but they can also work well as part of a main dish, as in this recipe with grilled asparagus. Tender on the inside, nice and crispy and golden brown on the outside.
Hester made a spicy and slightly tangy version by adding curry madras powder. Delicious in combination with the fresh ramson & orange pesto with toasted almonds. Can’t find wild garlic or is it out of season? Then replace the ramson with a clove of garlic and a finely chopped spring onion and double the amount of parsley. You can also vary with the nuts; try toasted hazelnuts or walnuts instead of almonds. You can keep the pesto in a clean jar, under a layer of oil, in the fridge for at least two weeks. Or make an extra quantity as long as ramson is in season and then freeze the pesto!
Asparagus: white or green, to peel or not to peel?
White asparagus should always be peeled, preferably with a vegetable peeler. First cut off the bottom 2 to 3 cm of the asparagus, this part is woody. Then peel them all around with a peeler. Start peeling half a cm. below the tip. You can make a tasty stock from the peels and trimmings in 30 minutes. Boil your asparagus in that and use the stock later for a soup.
Cook the asparagus for about 10 minutes if you are going to serve them directly. In Hester’s recipe, the asparagus will be grilled later, which is why they are cooked for a shorter time. Is the white asparagus season over, are they not available in your supermarket or you don’t like them that much? Then go for green asparagus. Also cut off the bottom 2 cm of green asparagus and, unlike white asparagus, only peel the bottom half with a peeler. Green asparagus doesn’t need to be precooked, but can be grilled, baked or roasted just like that.
Ramson
Ramson can be recognised by its long oval leaves with smooth edges. And, of course, by the characteristic garlic smell. The leaves, especially when not yet in flower, have a sharp garlic flavour. The flavour goes fantastically with grilled asparagus.
Be careful not to confuse ramson with lily of the valley or autumn thistle. This is because these plants are highly poisonous and sometimes grow in the same environment as the badger garlic. The distinct garlic smell when you tear a leaf is a good way to recognise ramson. Do you enjoy using home-picked produce? Then you might also want to take a look at our recipes for wildflower butter​, elderflower syrup, brioche with wildflower “ricotta”, spruce- or pine tip syrup and pine oil
Grilled asparagus, curry madras hash browns and ramson & orange pesto
Equipment
- 1 mortar or hand blender with spice chopper
- 1 grill pan or griddle or a contact grill
- 1 coarse (block) grater
Ingredients
for the pesto
- 60 g white almonds toasted
- 70 g ramson leaves roughly chopped
- 30 g leaf parsley roughly chopped
- 5 el extra vierge olive oil
- 1 orange, the zest of the peel preferably organic because of the peel
- 2 el orange juice
for the asparagus & hash browns
- 800 g white asparagus lower woody part removed, peeled
- 1 onion diced
- 4 el olive oil for frying
- 2 el curry madras powder
- 1 kg floury potatoes
- 50 g flour
- 1 pinch salt flakes e.g. fleur de sel or Maldon, for sprinkling
Instructions
- For the pesto, pound the almonds in the mortar to a coarse crumb. Add the wild garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt and mortar until all the herbs are bruised and mixed with the almonds. Mix in the extra virgin olive oil, orange zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.60 g white almonds, 70 g ramson leaves, 30 g leaf parsley, 5 el extra vierge olive oil, 1 orange, the zest of the peel, 2 el orange juice
- Meanwhile, bring a pan with salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 4 min. Drain them and rinse cold under running water.800 g white asparagus
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion with the curry madras for 5 min. Spoon from the pan into a bowl.1 onion
- For the hash browns, grate the potatoes on a coarse (block) grater and place in a clean tea towel, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Add the grated potatoes with 1 tsp salt and the flour to the onion in the bowl and mix well. Season with freshly ground pepper. Form 12 equal-sized balls from the mixture.2 el curry madras powder, 1 kg floury potatoes, 50 g flour
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and place 4 balls in it. Flatten them to approx. 0.5 cm thickness and fry for about 8 min until golden brown and done. Turn halfway through. Spoon onto a plate and keep warm under aluminium foil, bake the rest of the hash browns like this.4 el olive oil
- Meanwhile, heat a grill pan, griddle or contact grill without oil or butter. Pat the asparagus dry and toss with 1 tbsp oil. Grill the asparagus for 2 – 4 minutes on each side or until attractive grill marks appear. Serve the asparagus with the hashbrowns and the ramson-orange pesto. Sprinkle with some of the salt flakes.1 pinch salt flakes
