The spears are here – Angela Hartnett’s fresh ideas for asparagus

The simple approach is best for these special spears – even if you’re a Michelin-starred chef. Angela Hartnett shows how to make them sing

This year, we may be able to enjoy these delicate spears a little while longer, thanks to the cold spell

Asparagus season is usually a short and sweet one, lasting from May until the end of June, if we’re lucky. This year though, we may be able to enjoy these delicate spears a little while longer, thanks to the recent cold spell that’s been keeping us all in coats. At least, this is what my supplier, Mark Thorogood, who has grown asparagus in Essex for over 25 years, tells me.

All the same, I aim to make the most of the season while it lasts at the restaurant. Currently we have white asparagus with bottarga on the menu, as well as lightly cooked green asparagus topped with a ball of mozzarella and toasted breadcrumbs.

At home, too, I like it as simple as it comes; lightly cooked with a bit of hollandaise or vinaigrette, or topped with a fried egg and a shaving of parmesan. The recipes I share across these pages follow suit: simple flavours that don’t overpower the vegetable.

I love the dish of white asparagus with pink grapefruit overleaf – it’s well worth seeking out British white asparagus for, which is grown without exposure to light. The idea came from one of my ex-chefs, Neil Ferguson – one of the best chefs I know. I believe he took inspiration from a recipe he saw in one of Alain Passard’s vegetarian cookbooks. The sharpness of the grapefruit and sweetness of the basil is a perfect combination.

The tart stars two classic flavour pairings: salmon and asparagus, dill and cheddar cheese. I always use 50:50 lard to butter in my pastry so that it turns out buttery and short. It’s what my mum did, and I suspect she got that from Delia.

As for the rest of the dishes here, they’re a testament to the belief that when it comes to showing off the produce in its prime, simplicity is best.