The Eunice Power Column - Irish Asparagus

New season Irish Asparagus is in season this month. Apparently the recent mild winter has brought the crop forward, so it has been ready earlier than usual this year.

Asparagus is such a special treat and, as well as being a delicacy, it is a nutritional power house full of vitamins and antioxidants. Folklore suggests that asparagus has wonderful aphrodisiac qualities – so eat up your greens!

As I gently peel the tender stems I am reminded of my time as a trainee when I worked in a kitchen in Switzerland and for two whole weeks I did nothing but prepare asparagus – peel, blanch and refresh, day in day out - so I feel I have an intimate knowledge of the little spears!

Asparagus should be treated with the utmost care in cooking – in fact it needs very little cooking.  There are many schools of thought on the best method of cooking asparagus.

Many extol the benefits of roasting - toss in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 10-15 minutes.

Personally I prefer to blanch it. Once the tough skin has been peeled away from the lower end of the stem – I use a potato peeler for this job – just drop the spears into a pot of salted boiling water for 5-8 minutes until tender, whilst still keeping a little crunch, drain off and serve immediately.

The following dressing is wonderful with asparagus. I use locally made Co Waterford products in the dressing - Crinnaughtan Bramley apple juice, from The Keane estate in Cappoquin, as it has a unique bitter sweet flavour, and Anna Leveque’s Triskel Farmhouse Cheeses from Portlaw.

The addition of a few wild garlic leaves (two or three) to the dressing giving it a 'wilder' flavour and a pretty green colour.

Apple & Goats' Cheese Dressing

100g mild creamy goat’s cheese, eg Triskel Farmhouse
60ml Crinnaughtan apple juice
1 garlic clove chopped or a few wild garlic leaves
Maldon sea salt and pepper

Place the goats' cheese, apple juice, garlic into a blender and whiz until combined; season to taste and chill until needed.

The dressing will last for a few days in the fridge.


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More recipes from Eunice Power are available on www.eunicepower.com and www.powersfield.com

Room reservations can be made via our website www.powersfield.com.

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Eunice Power is a professional chef with over twenty years experience in the hospitality business. She runs Powersfield House in Dungarvan County Waterford, which is our B&B of the Year for 2012 and also the winner of the Best B&B Breakfast. Her philosophy is to use fresh, seasonal, locally produced food, sourced organically where possible.

Eunice has a successful outside catering company, writes about food (she is the author of an excellent cookery book written for local company Waterford Stanley) and teaches at Paul Flynn’s Tannery Cooking School, where her enthusiasm and zest for a life filled with good food are given free rein."