SERVES 4
600g • 22oz white or green asparagus
as in season
250g • 9oz cooked and peeled
unvinegared beetroot
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
sea salt and black pepper
1 head of black garlic cloves peeled
2 handfuls of baby leaves for example
ruby chard and lamb’s lettuce
30g • 1¼ oz pistachios coarsely chopped optional
Trim the asparagus (discard the trimmings at the point where the stems become visibly tough and peel thicker stems as necessary). Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the asparagus and cook for 5-6 minutes for white asparagus, or until just tender when you cut the thickest section using a sharp knife. Drain in a colander and refresh under the cold tap to stop any further cooking, then set aside to cool.
Trim, halve and thinly slice the beetroot, dress with the vinegar and oil, season with salt and pepper, then mix in the garlic.
Divide the asparagus among four plates, spoon the beetroot over, then scatter over a few baby leaves and drizzle over the beetroot dressing juices. If wished you can also scatter with pistachios.