British asparagus

British asparagus, with its intense, complex flavour, is considered - by the British, at least - to be the finest in the world. Its deep, verdant flavour is attributed in large part to Britain’s cool growing conditions.

Choosing asparagus

Traditionally only green asparagus has been grown here, but there are numerous types and varieties. Regardless of whether you’re buying thin 'sprue' asparagus or extra-large 'jumbo' spears, always choose stems that are firm and lush, rather than dry and wrinkly.

Avoid any stems that are discoloured, scarred or turning slimy at the tips. If you're using whole spears, then make sure the buds are tightly furled. If you're making soup, though, you could also use the cheaper, loose-tipped spears you sometimes find on market stalls.

Savour the flavour

The less time it takes to get asparagus from the field to the plate, the better it will taste because the sugars in the plant start to turn to starch once it's picked. British-grown asparagus takes about 24 hours to get from plant to supermarket shelf, but it's worth checking the sell-by dates and visiting PYO farms for the freshest specimens you can find. Asparagus from outside the UK will spend longer in transport.

Cooking with asparagus

The first plump green stems are perfect lightly boiled and drenched in melted butter, hollandaise or mustard vinaigrette. Lightly blanched asparagus tastes wonderful very lightly griddled and mixed into salad with smoked salmon or Parma ham.

Lightly boiled asparagus can be sliced and mixed into salads, pastas, risottos, gratins, tortillas, tarts and quiches. Raw asparagus can be finely sliced and tossed into stir-fries with shellfish, chicken or beef. Mustard, eggs, butter, cream, olive oil, cheese, tarragon and parsley are widely used to complement the flavour of asparagus. Fresh, tender asparagus can be served raw. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin shavings into a salad and dressing it with a lemon vinaigrette, or serve it whole with aioli for dipping. White asparagus is particularly good raw.

Culinary myths

Despite what you may have read or heard, it's not necessary to buy an asparagus steamer, nor to bind the asparagus into a bundle and cook it upright in a pan. For the best results, wash the stems thoroughly in a sink full of cold water. Then trim the stalks and, if the lower part of the stem seems tough when sliced and eaten raw, lightly peel the bottom third of the stem. Drop loose spears into a pan of boiling water and cook until just tender.

The cooking time varies according to the thickness of the stems but ranges between 3-5 minutes. Once it's cooked, drain and pat dry on kitchen paper. If you're serving it cold, you'll get the best flavour if, rather than cooling under the cold tap, you spread the hot asparagus out to cool on some kitchen paper.

Changing seasons

It might seem strange to modern cooks, but in the late 17th century, asparagus was sold as early as the first week in February. It was grown under glass bells in London's market garden 'hot beds', which were heated by a liberal use of dung.

The rich paid good money for such delicacies. Forcing early spears of asparagus continued until the 20th century, when growers reverted to selling their shoots from late April until 21 June. The season began with the Cornish growers in the south and gradually moved northwards into Scotland for the latter part of the season.

Today, asparagus farmers, such as John Chinn of Cobrey Farm in the Wye Valley are once more trying to extend the British asparagus season. "We still only harvest the plants for a few weeks, but we're extending the season by growing early varieties under polythene cloches on south-sloping fields and late, unprotected varieties on cooler north-facing fields," he explains.

The former are cropped halfway through March, while the latter are picked from mid-June until late July. More fundamentally, the Chinns are experimenting with gently warming the soil to 20 degrees Celsius in some of their asparagus fields, using a network of hot-water pipes. "It's all designed to be sustainable, with a wood boiler fuelled by home-grown wood," explains Chinn. "The asparagus is covered with cloches to create warm air and with luck we'll be able to harvest the first spears in time for Valentine's Day."

Future trends

Our appetite for British asparagus has grown in the past few years. According to market researchers Taylor Nelson Sofres, during the 2002 asparagus season, just over three percent of British households bought home-grown asparagus. By 2007, that percentage had increased to over 14 per cent. As farmers match the increasing demand, prices should fall, making asparagus seem less of a luxury food and increasingly accessible to more cooks.

However, John Chinn also believes that British tastes are becoming more adventurous, through travel and multiculturalism. As a result, he believes that more people will want to try other types of asparagus.

Consequently, he and others are experimenting with white asparagus, which is widely cultivated on the Continent. The spears are grown under banks of soil, so that only their tips turn a pale violet. They have a subtle, mildly bitter taste. Some growers are also experimenting with a purple-stemmed New Zealand variety called Purple Pacific, which is supposed to be far sweeter than our green varieties. Look out for home-grown white and purple spears among spring's green fingers.

Recipes

If you want to make the most of English asparagus' all-too-short short growing season, try your hand at some of the following recipes:

• Asparagus in prosciutto with beurre blanc (video recipe) by Paul Merrett from Get Cooking
• Asparagus with mint, parsley and honey vinaigrette by Sophie Grigson
• Asparagus soup with asparagus tips, Jersey Royal potatoes and watercress by James Martin
• Roasted asparagus with blood orange aioli by Denis Cotter
• Warm salad of samphire, asparagus and crab by Rick Stein from Seafood Lovers' Guide
• Crown of English asparagus by John Burton Race
• Asparagus and lemon risotto by Nigel Slater
• Asparagus and Carmarthen ham with goats' cheese by Stephen Terry
• Salad of asparagus and new potatoes with gorgonzola and basil by British Asparagus