Spring Vegetable Fricassée
A Spring vegetable fricassée is an elevated way to serve your green vegetables! It makes a perfect side dish for Spring lamb but works just as well with fish, chicken or with a poached egg on top.
Ingredients
- 300 grams (3 cups) asparagus
- 175 grams (3 cups) garden peas /petit pois
- 200 grams (2 cups) sugar snap peas
- 1 banana shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 15 grams (3 tablespoon) fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 15 grams (3 tablespoon) fresh chives (finely chopped)
- 15 grams (3 tablespoon) fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 lemon (squeezed)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil. Prepare a bowl filled with ice cubes and water.
- Cut the asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces, removing any woody ends. Slice the leeks into thin rounds and cut the sugar snap peas in half.
- Add the leeks to the boiling water, then the sugar snap peas, then the asparagus and then the peas. Keep the heat right up, to prevent too much temperature loss.
- Blanch the vegetables in the boiling water for 2 minutes or until you can see them turn a bright vibrant green. Immediately drain them and place into the ice water to prevent them from cooking further.
- Finely dice the shallot and garlic and heat butter and oil in a pan.
- Saute the shallot and garlic with a pinch of salt and let it sweat over low heat.
- Take around a quarter of the green vegetables and blend them to a smooth puree with the lemon juice and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the remaining spring vegetables to the pan and saute them with the shallot to finish cooking and bring back up to temperature over medium heat.
- When the vegetables are tender but still with a slight bit of resistance on the knife, stir through the puree and warm through.
- Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh mint and some edible Spring flowers.
Notes
Don't overcook the veg! Only boil until it goes a bright vibrant green and then halt the process by placing them in ice water.
I like to make the puree using the asparagus stalks, which aren't as pretty as the tips. Add a splash of oil at the end while blending to emulsify the puree and make it glossy.
Store this in the fridge for 3-4 days. Avoid freezing, the veg will lose its bite.
Swap the mint for dill to make this dish ideal for seafood, or tarragon if serving with steak.
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 33mgPotassium: 476mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2177IUVitamin C: 75mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 4mg
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