Whipped Ricotta and Asparagus Bruschetta
This fresh, verdant recipe from Xanthe Ross is spring on a plate, with British asparagus taking centre stage on a bed of creamy ricotta on toast.
Introduction
I was inspired to cook asparagus this way after trying a dish at the very beautiful Atelier September in Copenhagen. They served the asparagus cut into rounds like this and I’ve done it a lot since. The British asparagus season is so short that I try to cook with them every day when they’re around. This means that later in the season, I may be searching for ways to cook them that keep me inspired. Something simple like cutting them differently satisfies that for me, and I love the delicacy it gives to the asparagus. Asparagus always matches beautifully with dairy because of its freshness.
Ingredients
| 200g (7oz) | ricotta |
| zest and juice of ½ lemon | |
| 2 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 × 250g (9oz) bunches of | asparagus |
| 4 slices of | bread, toasted |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Method
Put the ricotta, lemon zest and juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a generous grind of pepper into a bowl. Whisk until smooth and light.
Snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then cut them into 1cm (½ inch) rounds. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice and set it to one side.
Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to the boil, then drop in the asparagus pieces and cook for about 1 minute. You want the asparagus pieces to remain crunchy, so be careful not to overcook them. Drain and transfer straight to the ice bath. This will stop the cooking and also help the asparagus keep their fresh green colour.
Cut the slices of toast in half and lay them on a plate. Spoon some of the ricotta onto each piece, then use the back of your spoon to spread it across the toast.
Drain the asparagus and pat them gently dry with a dish towel. Put them into a bowl, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix gently, then top the whipped ricotta with a generous spoonful of the dressed asparagus. Season again if you like, then serve immediately.
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