Asparagus with Speck and Gorgonzola - Episode 3.8

Nothing says Spring like fresh asparagus. As the delicate spears start to poke through the ground, it is as strong a symbol of the weather warming, as the dancing daffodils in my flower beds.

This dish is perfect for that special occasion, or to add some "wow" factor to a dinner party. It is simple to prepare, and takes only minutes to put together. Don't be put off by the Gorgonzola. The creaminess and picante adds so much depth to this dish without being overpowering.

This very special dish is my take on a side dish that I discovered in Taupo,  New Zealand a few years ago. We had spent the day kayaking across Lake Taupo and were quite hungry. In the main restaurant area of Taupo we found a wine bar and food store that had some funky lighting and a bit of buzz. Initially we were looking for a snack, but we ended up staying for dinner.
The menu mainly consisted of Tapas. To our great delight, this asparagus dish was amazing! Later in the evening, the chef popped out to speak with guests. I checked with him that I had decoded the ingredients correctly. I asked to have a photo taken with him. I have the biggest grin and disturbingly, on reviewing the photo, he had most of his fingers covered with blue bandaids! They certainly weren't caused from this dish - no tricky techniques with this one :)

To see how its done, check out my Youtube video at the link below.

Recipe

Serves 4

• Olive oil
• 1 large red onion
• 100 g speck diced
• 2 bunches of green asparagus
• Balsamic vinegar
• 100 g Gorgonzola broken into small pieces


In a fry-pan, heat a little olive oil. Gently sweat onions until they start to caramelise. Remove from pan.
Add speck to pan, and on a high heat toss until speck is crispy.
Meanwhile blanch asparagus.

Return onions to fry-pan with the speck and warm through. De-glaze pan with balsamic vinegar.

Arrange asparagus on a serving dish. Pour over onions and speck. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola.
Allow cheese to melt and then serve.

Updated April 2023