Recipes: Top tips on making the most of tasty asparagus

Stephanie, consultant chef at Rudding Park and chef tutor at Leeds City College, recently won bronze at the final of the prestigious British Culinary Federation Chef of the Year Awards.

She is also teaming up with deliciouslyorkshire, to encourage the use and consumption of regional produce by consumers and the hospitality industry, especially up-and-coming chefs.

Stephanie, named deliciouslyorkshire Champion 2009/10 will also focus her efforts on helping smaller food and drink businesses realise their potential, such as coordinating courses on how to become AA accredited.

Plumpton Rocks Asparagus and Leek Risotto Sand Hutton Rocket Leaves and Whixley Cheese

Serves 6

600g risotto rice (different types of rice are available but the cooking technique is similar)

Up to 3 litres vegetable stock

2 bunches of asparagus trimmed and blanched in lightly salted water and refreshed in iced water (this action of partially boiling the asparagus for a few minutes and then cooling it rapidly will fix the chlorophyll contained in the vegetables and keep them bright green, this is recommended for all green vegetables)

2 large leek stems washed and sliced thinly and re washed

6 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

130g butter

1 white onion, peeled and chopped finely

300ml dry white wine

180g goat's cheese

Rocket leaves

Melt the butter in a pan, add the chopped onion and garlic, cook for a few minutes (keep stirring all the time not allowing the onion and garlic to brown).

Add the washed risotto rice and stir for two minutes.

Add white wine and cook for five minutes stirring continuously until the wine has reduced by two-thirds.

Then add the vegetable stock, ladle by ladle, and cook on a low heat. Keep stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, adding the stock slowly. Repeat the process until the rice is almost soft. Chop the asparagus into inch long pieces – add the asparagus and leeks and cook until the leeks are just cooked. Stir in the Whixley goat's cheese.

To serve, place in a large, warmed serving bowl, sprinkle on a little Whixley cheese and position the rocket leaves over the top.

Asparagus spears with Whitby smoked haddock and local free range eggs on a toasted muffin

Serves 4

4 x 100g portions smoked haddock – we use Whitby haddock

3 spears of asparagus per person

2 bread muffins (sliced in half, half a portion each)

4 local free range eggs

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

pint of milk

Place the smoked haddock in a high sided pan with pint milk and pint water – bring this to the simmer slowly and cook until soft.

While this is cooking, snap the asparagus spears at the base of the stem – this should give a satisfying snap as the base breaks off. The bases can be used for stock or soup.

Peel the stems if they are thick, however, if they are young shoots, leave them as they are.

Boil in salted water until just cooked, remove and drain, add the butter and salt and pepper and serve.

Lastly, boil a pan of water, add a large pinch of salt and the white wine vinegar. Whirl this around with a wooden spoon – place the cracked eggs into the pan. The white of the egg will close in tightly to the yolk and after approx 1 minutes you should end up with a perfectly poached egg. Remove from the water, when softly poached, with a slotted spoon.

Slice the muffin bread in half and toast until golden brown.

To serve, place the asparagus on the toasted muffin, add the cooked smoked haddock on the top and then place the soft poached egg on the top.

Serve this as a light snack or a tasty starter.

Asparagus, Pea and Mint Risotto

Serves four

2 bunches asparagus

400g Arborio risotto rice

1 large glass white wine

2 pts vegetable stock

200g grated parmesan cheese

4 sprigs of garden mint

100g fresh peas

1 small bag frozen peas (approx 500g)

3 cloves of peeled crushed garlic

4 shallots peeled and chopped

Olive oil to fry

Boiling salted water

Peel the asparagus spears if they are thick but if they are thin just crack them where they break by bending the stalk and discard the woody base (by bending the spear it will break naturally at its most tender spot).

Blanch in boiling salted water (by plunging the asparagus into the water

for a few minutes) then remove and refresh under cold water and leave to one side ready to saut in a pan for service.

Fry the shallots and garlic in the olive oil in a tall sided pan. Next, add the washed and drained Arborio rice and using a wooden spoon stir in the pan and add the white wine gradually. Allow the rice to absorb the wine and keep stirring. Next, add a ladle of vegetable stock and keep adding ladles of the stock and stir (No-one said it

was easy!)

The best risottos are stirred like crazy at the start and once the rice starts to soften you hardly stir at all.

Next, blend the frozen peas with some boiling salted water and the washed leaves of the fresh mint to form a soup-like paste (you will not need a lot of water for this, continue to add the required amount of water until a paste is formed). Pour into the softened rice until it is a vibrant green but still risotto like consistency. Add the parmesan cheese and correct the seasoning with salt

and pepper.

Place the hot risotto in the centre of the plate and add the hot spears of asparagus on the top. Serve with some parmesan shavings around the plate and a drizzle of good quality olive oil around the plate.