The start of Spring brings such a wonderful transition to the fresh, green, herby produce and flavours we’ll be eating through the next few months and into summer too. April means the beginning of asparagus season in the UK, as well as new potatoes & herbs like sorrel, so this salad really is a celebration of Spring right through to the dressing. It’s a lovely one to make as a side to any meal, or as part of a big sharing spread too.
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Photography & styling: Flora Shedden
Season: Spring
Ingredients
for the salad
350g new potatoes
250g asparagus
50g hazelnuts
25g sesame seeds
25g parmesan
25g mizuna or rocket leaves
10g mint leaves
for the dressing
20g sorrel leaves
50g olive oil
50g creme fraiche
10g white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp capers
cracked black pepper
olive oil
Method
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Place a pan of boiling water over a high heat. Cook your potatoes in the pan for 15-20 minutes or until tender and cooked through.
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In the meantime place all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz on a high speed for 5 minutes or until very smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste then set aside until ready to serve.
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In a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil until beginning to shimmer. Add the asparagus spears and some salt and pepper and cook for a minute or two until coloured and just beginning to soften. You do not want to over cook the asparagus here. Remove from the pan and turn down to a medium heat. Add the hazelnuts and cook for 2-5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Place the nuts into a pestle and mortar. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sesame seeds. The residual heat should be enough to toast the seeds until they are golden but prevent them from burning. Set aside to cool down.
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Once the potatoes are cooked drain and run under cold water to cool them down and prevent them from cooking further. Drain again.
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To assemble, mix the cooled potatoes (cut in half if they are too big) with the asparagus and the dressing in a large bowl. Bash the hazelnuts to roughly break up and add half to the bowl. Add half of the sesame seeds. Finely grate the parmesan and add to the mix alongside half of the mizuna leaves. Finely chop the mint and add to the mix before tossing everything together to make sure everything is well coated. Spoon onto a serving platter and garnish with the reserved ingredients. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil enjoy immediately.
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