Asparagus with Whipped Feta and Dukkah

Asparagus is in season right now. While I think it can be over-hyped, I do think it kind of marks a lighter way of eating as we head into the Summer. It is very easy to whip up a simple, fresh dish with this ingredient.

This recipe is inspired by, or directly lifted from if you want to get technical about it, a Bill Granger recipe from the Independent a couple of weeks ago. Bills recipes are great and generally very straight forward. I made this as a light starter at the weekend and it is so tasty for something so simple.

You can use shop bought dukkah or follow the link for my recipe below. Dukkah is an Egyptian nut and spice mix and it is very tasty. For the whipped feta, I used my recipe for whipped ricotta, just substituting one cheese for another. If you want a simpler version, leave out the onions and garlic but use some more honey to give it some sweetness.

Serves 2

 Dukkah

Ingredients:

• 250g asparagus, woody ends trimmed
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt
• 2 tbsp Dukkah
• 4 tbsp whipped feta

Method:

• To remove the woody ends of the asparagus, gently bend it and it will naturally snap at the base. You can discard this. The asparagus I used in this photo is fine asparagus so it is a bit more delicate and takes less cooking time.
• Heat a griddle pan or non-stick frying pan over a high heat and cook the asparagus. Turn it occasionally and cooked until just charred and tender.
• Put the cooked asparagus into a bowl and gently toss through the olive oil. Lightly season with salt but be wary of how much salt you have used in the feta and dukkah.
• Spoon the whipped feta onto 2 plates and top with asparagus. Sprinkle over the dukkah and serve immediately.

Whipped Feta/Ricotta