@SamNurse, Head Chef at Loveday Kensington shares his starter - Lilibet’s Asparagus Crown, perfectly British and in season this time of year.
Congratulations to all of our winning chefs who participated in Loveday’s Great Platinum Jubilee Menu, judged by Oliver Peyton OBE & Laurence Geller CBE.
You too can enjoy the menus at home as we share the recipes!
The name Lilibet was the nickname given to Elizabeth II by her father and then later used by her close family, and in particular her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh
a great way to start your very own Platinum Jubilee Menu!
Ingredients
1x Bunch white Asparagus
1x Bunch green Asparagus
1x Bunch purple Asparagus
3x duck egg
300g Jersey royal potatoes
250g frozen peas
50g grated Parmesan
40g unsalted butter
3x mint leaves, chopped
2x sprigs dill, chopped
2x garlic cloves, chopped
2tbsp white wine vinegar
100g micro salad leaves
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Crushed Jersey Royals
Preheat the oven at 180°C, take half your jersey royals and add to a baking tray with the garlic, Dill and mint, cook for 45 minutes and until golden and soft. Now crush with the back of a spoon.
Poached duck egg
Bring a pan of 500ml water to a rolling boil with 2tbsp white wine vinegar, turn the water down to a very light simmer and crack your duck egg into the centre of the water. Now turn the pan off completely and set aside to slowly cook the egg for 5 minutes.
Pea & Parmesan purée
Add the frozen peas, salt and pepper to 200ml of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, take off the heat and add to a jug blender with the butter and Parmesan. Blend until smooth and silky, if still grainy pass through a fine sieve. Keep warm and set aside while you assemble the rest of the dish.
Steamed Asparagus
Firstly cut the asparagus in half, length ways. In this recipe we only need to use the top half of the asparagus but don’t throw away the bottoms as there great for soup or chopped into a salad. Lightly steam or boil the asparagus for 3 minutes until soft but with a slight crunch.
Assembly
In a metal ring spoon a small layer of the crushed potato then place the asparagus upright around the potatoes, now spoon a little more of the potatoes in making sure to push the potatoes up against the asparagus to secure it. Now place the poached duck egg on top of the potatoes followed by the pea purée and finish with the micro salad leaves. Gently pull up the metal ring and serve.