SAUTEING ASPARAGUS

in butter i and and oil, rather than boiling it in water, locks much of the flavour inside. The asparagus could be served without the lemony mashed potatoes, or the other way around, but together they make a glorious side dish to roasted chicken, fish or spring lamb. Alternatively, adding a poached egg or two to each plate will turn this into a substantial vegetarian meal.

Yotam Ottolenghi is chef-patron of the London-based Ottolenghi delis and the NOPI and ROVI restaurants. He has published seven bestselling cookbooks – his latest is Simple, published by Random House.