Aspargus, peas, watercress: the perfect ingredients for a great spring salad
I’d happily eat this salad every day for the rest of my life. This dish isn’t just a side; it has main character energy.
If asparagus were in season all year, I’d happily eat this salad every day for the rest of my life. This dish isn’t just a side; it has main character energy. Spring peas are wonderful, but if you can’t be bothered with podding, frozen peas work just as well. Watercress adds a peppery bite, but rocket is a great alternative. The anchovy cream dressing is the star here – so versatile it works on just about anything. Use it to dress salads, smear it on toast with zucchini or tomatoes, rub it over chicken before roasting, toss it through hot pasta, or dollop it on roast potatoes. I like mine punchy, with lots of lemon and black pepper, but adjust it to your taste. This anchovy cream is a gift – one that brings flavour and excitement to everything it touches. Have this salad with my beef skewers.
Spring asparagus salad
This is a thick cream dressing; you can thin it out with a tablespoon of water if you like. Adjust cream to your liking. You’ll most likely end up with extra, and this can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
- 6 anchovies
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 50ml)
- 80ml olive oil
- 30g Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan (about ½ cup, lightly packed), plus extra to serve
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody stems snapped off
- 1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
- 1 handful watercress or rocket
- 5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 75g (½ cup) breadcrumbs
Method
- To make the anchovy cream, combine the anchovies, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and olive oil in a small food processor or blender. Blitz for a minute or so until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and thick. Add the cheese and blitz again until well combined. Taste, then season with salt and plenty of pepper. If you prefer, you can make this dressing in a mortar and pestle: start by bashing the anchovies and garlic cloves to form a paste, then add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and season generously with salt. Blanch the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes until bright green and just tender. In the last 30 seconds, add the peas. Drain and immediately plunge the asparagus and peas into a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and set aside.
- To prepare the breadcrumbs, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and fry, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes, until they turn golden brown. Watch them carefully to prevent burning. Remove the breadcrumbs from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
- To assemble, toss the asparagus, peas, and watercress or rocket in a large bowl with a teaspoon of the anchovy cream. The leftover water on the greens will help turn the cream into more of a dressing. Spread a generous spoonful of the anchovy cream on the base of a serving platter, then top with the dressed greens. Scatter over a handful of the breadcrumbs and finish with extra grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Serves 2-4