With the coming of the first days of Spring, this elegant and seasonal product start growing in the fields. Its vivid green colour, gastronomical potential and unmistakable flavour, makes it one of the preferred ingredients by the cooks. Rodrigo Madeira, Chef at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, agrees and so we asked him for some tips and recipes to take advantage of the potential of this rich and delicious vegetable.

Rodrigo Madeira: "I really like asparagus and I prefer the wild asparagus for their soft and very characteristic flavour. It is a very versatile product, that can be adapted to a great number of dishes, meat, and fish dishes, as a side dish or mixed with other vegetables. The results are always excellent and beyond their nutritional value, they have few calories and possess diuretic and anti-inflammatory action. Wild asparagus have fibre, vitamins, and minerals, that help strengthen the immune system. Here at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, we frequently use wild asparagus since they are abundant in Alentejo at this time of the year."

How to choose:

I choose firm stems, rounded and with a strong and brilliant colour, with the tips without any signs of withering, or mushy and humid looking; the thinnest stems are the softest. When the small leaves at the top of the asparagus are open, it means that the stems were harvest late of exposed to higher than ideal temperatures, and, therefore, are of lower quality. If they have cracks on the stem and a hazy colour, without shine, it also means that the asparagus are not fit for consumption.

How to store:

Since here at the Estate we only use very fresh produce, we normally do not cold store products, but if we have to, we need to envelope the stems in a wet paper towel and cover them with a plastic bag, keeping them upright in the coldest part of the refrigerator. This because, when stores horizontally, they become curved.
The stems can also be kept vertically with the base on a flash with a little water, as if they were flowers, but also covered in a plastic bag.

Grilled Aspargus with Herbs

To me the best way to enjoy asparagus is to simply grilled them and then stroke them with herbal olive oil.

Ingredients:

• Wild asparagus
• Thyme and rosemary olive oil

Method:

1. Cut the thick stem of the asparagus, use the top section
2. Season them with salt and peper
3. Grill the asparagus slowly to cook the inside
4. After grill, stroke with herbal olive oil