Description
A delicious and elegant dish featuring tender poached asparagus topped with spiced butter-infused brown shrimp, wild garlic, and fresh lemon juice, served with crusty bread for a perfect light meal or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Spiced Butter
- 60g unsalted butter
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground mace
- ¼ tsp pink peppercorns, lightly crushed using a pestle and mortar
Asparagus and Shrimp
- 500g asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
- 200g peeled brown shrimp (or North Atlantic prawns or hazelnuts as alternatives)
- 2 wild garlic leaves, plus a few to serve (optional), or handful finely shredded chervil or chives
- 1 lemon, juiced
- A few chive flowers (optional)
To Serve
- Chunks of crusty white bread
Instructions
- Warm the Platter: Place a large platter into the oven to warm while preparing the dish, ensuring the asparagus will stay hot when served.
- Melt and Spice the Butter: Gently melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, stir in sea salt, cayenne pepper, ground mace, and crushed pink peppercorns. Remove the spiced butter from heat temporarily.
- Poach the Asparagus: In a wide saucepan, bring about 5cm of salted water to a boil. Lay the asparagus spears flat without overcrowding and poach for 2-3 minutes until tender, tested by inserting a knife into the thickest part of a spear with no resistance.
- Cook the Shrimp: Return the spiced butter pan to low heat. Add the peeled brown shrimp along with the wild garlic leaves or preferred herbs, and pour in the lemon juice. Gently baste the shrimp until cooked through and well coated with the spiced butter mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Assemble and Serve: Drain the asparagus and arrange it neatly on the warmed platter. Pour the shrimp and spiced butter sauce evenly over the asparagus. Garnish with chive flowers if using. Serve immediately with chunks of crusty white bread to mop up the flavorful sauce.
Notes
- If brown shrimp are unavailable, substitute with North Atlantic prawns or for a vegetarian alternative, use toasted hazelnuts.
- Wild garlic leaves can be replaced with finely shredded chervil or chives if preferred or out of season.
- Adjust cayenne pepper quantity to control heat level to taste.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the asparagus warm and the shrimp tender.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: asparagus, shrimp, spiced butter, poached asparagus, wild garlic, spring recipe, appetizer, quick seafood
