‘Spring has finally arrived at Ondine with the vibrant green colours of wild garlic, Provençal asparagus, fresh peas and broad beans. Every year the anticipation of the first asparagus of the season creates a great buzz in kitchens all over the country.

Seeing the tiny green spears peeping out of the earth is a sign of the colours and vibrancy that we’re soon going to be able to cook with.

We’re now seeing that seasonal shift with produce and there’s a real excitement in our kitchen around the new textures and flavours available.

The asparagus season is well under way in France and these delicious fibrous spears are the most tender we have received in recent years.

At Ondine, we aim to maximise the celebration of this unique ingredient in many different ways. From simple recipes to the more complex, the joy of asparagus is that the subtle yet robust flavour can be an ideal match for many accompaniments.

With a variety of complementary flavours to choose from, I have a lot of favourites – from simply steaming the asparagus and serving it with a zingy lemon hollandaise to making a smooth asparagus volute which I like to enhance with wild garlic. The season is so short that we need to ensure we make the most of it.

This particular recipe is a real favourite of mine. It’s great as the weather gets milder and we look for delicate spring dishes to enjoy. It’s lovely and light yet the sauce packs a punch of flavour to delight the senses of your guests.

For me, this is the perfect dish to enjoy outside on a sunny Sunday lunchtime with family and friends. It has gone down a treat with customers as part of our new “market menu” at Ondine. We have added trompette mushrooms, black truffle and delicate fine herbs here to truly celebrate the joys of spring. The flavours are incredible together and it gives us another way to appreciate this special, seasonal produce.

My top tip for this is, if you can’t get your hands on trompette, you can use chestnut mushrooms instead and fresh truffle can be replaced with jarred.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the asparagus:

1kg asparagus

300ml vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to season

For the smoked butter sauce:

250g smoked butter

80g trompette mushrooms

10g truffle, chopped

1 lemon, juice only

50g tarragon, chopped

50g chervil, chopped

50g chives, chopped

Method:

1. To prepare the asparagus simply cut away the woody stalk. You won’t need to peel the asparagus as it is very tender.

2. Place the asparagus in a

thick-bottomed pan and pour in the vegetable stock. Season well then cover with a lid and simmer.

3. After three minutes, remove the lid and the asparagus will be tender. Add the mushrooms and simmer for another minute. The stock in the pan should have now reduced.

4. Now add the butter to emulsify, then the fine herbs, chopped truffle and lemon juice.

5. Simply divide the spears onto four plates and dress with the juices from the pan along with the mushrooms and truffles.

Featuring a menu full of seafood classics, as well as some delicious seasonal additions, treat the special lady in your life to Mother’s Day lunch at the award-winning Ondine restaurant in Edinburgh.

The De Capo Daughters, a piano vocal duo, will be entertaining guests, while chef Roy Brett and his team will be serving a three-course lunch menu for £45 per person. Book by calling 0131 226 1888.

For more information, please visit: https://www.ondinerestaurant.co.uk