Asparagus cooked on the fire with labneh, mint, almonds and seeds
Serves 2
We tend to reserve smoky fires for cooking meat or fish – vegetables don’t get much of a look in.
This is a real shame, as there are so many that work beautifully being cooked this way.
Onions, beetroots, leeks and artichokes all respond fantastically to the charring heat of an open fire, but few can match fresh asparagus.
Fire is one of the best ways to cook it.
You’ll need
● 2 tbsp raw almonds, skin on
● 1 tbsp sunflower seeds ● 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds ● 2 tsp cumin seeds
● 1 tbsp tamari sauce ● Chilli flakes (optional) ● 1 rosemary sprig ● 10-12 asparagus spears ● 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve ● Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ● Flatbreads to serve
Method
1. First, make the yoghurt. Place the yoghurt in a bowl, add salt and stir well.
2. Set a sieve over a bowl and line with a square of clean muslin or thin cotton cloth. Spoon the salted yoghurt into the centre of the cloth, then gather up the sides. Place in the fridge (still in the sieve and bowl) for 8-12 hours or overnight.
3. Turn out thickened yoghurt into a large, serving bowl. Pick the smaller mint leaves from the stalks and set aside. Pick the larger leaves, discarding the stalks in the compost, and cut into thin ribbons.
4. Stir the ribbons through the yoghurt with olive oil and some black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the
asparagus.
For the yoghurt
● 500ml natural yoghurt
● ½ tsp fine sea salt ● handful of mint
● 1 tbsp extra-virgin ● Olive oil ● Freshly ground black pepper
5. Place almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and half the cumin seeds in a pan with the tamari, chilli flakes and rosemary over a low heat.
6. Cook, stirring regularly, for a few minutes until the nuts and seeds are dry, toasted and fragrant.
7. If you plan to cook your asparagus over an open fire, make sure the fire is nice and hot. Snap the woody base from each spear, then place tender asparagus on a plate. Trickle with the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and the remaining cumin.
8. Cook the asparagus over glowing embers for 2-3 minutes on each side, or as long as it takes to char the spears nicely. Alternatively, you can cook the asparagus for a similar amount of time on a hot grill pan. 9. Arrange the spears over the yoghurt, scatter over the toasted nuts and seeds and reserved mint leaves. Serve with an extra trickle of olive oil and, if you like, some fresh flatbreads.