WHB #104 - Asparagus Custard, Herbed Goats cheese and a Parmesan Wafer on top

Firstly, congratulations Kalyn for "inventing" and nurturing this wonderful event for the past two years. You must feel very proud. Head over to Kalyn's Kitchen for the round-up of this event, which I'm sure will be overwhelming.

The challenge for this weekend is to prepare a dish with at least one herb and one vegetable. As we are coming into the warmer weather here, asparagus is abundant, and it's also one of my favourite veges to eat. My herbs are starting to take hold in the garden, and I've planted some chervil this year for the first time.

In the time of King Louis XIV asparagus was dubbed ‘The King of Vegetables’, and in my opinion it still is. It is a member of the lily family, surprisingly, which has relatives such as onion, garlic, leeks, turnips, lilies and gladioli. It is a natural diuretic and laxative with a beneficial effect on the kidneys, liver and bowel. Specifically, asparagus is rich in vitamins C & E, folate, dietary fibre and potassium. It is also free of fat and cholesterol. (So just ignore the cream component in this recipe if you possibly can).


Ingredients
Olive oil
4 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced or chopped
3 bunches asparagus, woody ends removed, sliced thinly
1 cup cream
Salt & pepper
2 eggs, beaten
200g grated parmesan cheese
Goat’s cheese
Cream
Freshly chopped herbs (I used chervil, parsley and garlic chives)

Method

1. Sweat off the sliced shallots and garlic in olive oil, taking care not to colour them.
2. Add the prepared asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the cream, salt and pepper and cook until the asparagus is soft.
4. Using a food processor, puree the asparagus until smooth, then pass the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any fibres that haven’t broken down. Add the beaten eggs to the asparagus mixture.
5. Arrange 4 ramekin dishes in a baking dish with 1cm water. Divide the asparagus mixture between the ramekins. Cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. Once cooked, allow the custards to cool slightly, then run a small knife around the inside of each ramekin and turn out onto a serving plate.
7. Combine the goat’s cheese with a little cream and freshly chopped herbs.
8. Sprinkle 50g of grated parmesan onto a baking tray in four circles and cook for 3-4 minutes at 180°C
9. Once cooled slightly, place a Parmesan Wafer on top of each asparagus custard. Finish with a spoonful of goat’s cheese mixture and serve warm.

Perfect for an al fresco lunch.