Pea houmous with crispy asparagus

Name: Pea houmous with crispy asparagus
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: Serves 2 as a starter
Ingredients: 50g plain flour; 2 medium eggs; 60g panko breadcrumbs; 30g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated; 220g trimmed asparagus; About 200ml sunflower oil to fry; For the houmous; 150g fresh peas (podded weight – roughly 500g peas in their pod); 100g chickpeas from a jar (drained weight), plus 2 tbsp of their liquid; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small garlic clove; Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon, plus extra squeeze juice (optional); 1 tbsp tahini; Specialist kit; Probe thermometer

Portion size: Serves 2 as a starter
Prep time 10 min. Cook time 12 min
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Vegetarian

Kathy Slack

Food writer, grower and cook

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This vegetarian starter is a taste of late spring. Here’s why we love Kathy Slack’s fresh pea houmous with crispy asparagus…

Seasonal star: Make this special houmous in late spring, to celebrate the arrival of fresh peas and new-season British asparagus.
Elevated ingredients: “Using raw peas here gives the houmous that slightly savoury, cut-grass flavour so unique to fresh peas. Frozen peas are a fine alternative but the houmous will taste sweeter and a little less characterful,” says Kathy. “Good chickpeas are essential, though, so invest in a jar of chickpeas rather than a tin.”
Contrasting textures: The crunchy asparagus contrasts beautifully with the thick, rich houmous. Leave a few peas in tact for extra texture, and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon or swirl of olive oil.

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Ingredients

50g plain flour
2 medium eggs
60g panko breadcrumbs
30g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
220g trimmed asparagus
About 200ml sunflower oil to fry

For the houmous

150g fresh peas (podded weight – roughly 500g peas in their pod)
100g chickpeas from a jar (drained weight), plus 2 tbsp of their liquid
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon, plus extra squeeze juice (optional)
1 tbsp tahini

Specialist kit

Probe thermometer

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Method

For the houmous, put everything in a food processor with a generous pinch of salt, then whizz to a smooth paste. Check the seasoning: you may need more salt and another squeeze of lemon juice.
For the crispy asparagus, find 3 wide, shallow dishes (pasta bowls are perfect). Put the flour in one and season with salt and pepper. Put the eggs in the second and beat thoroughly. In the third, mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan.
Wash the asparagus spears and, while still damp, roll them in the flour so they’re well coated. Shake off the excess flour and dip each spear into the egg. One at a time, lift the asparagus out of the egg and into the cheesy breadcrumbs, pressing down and turning gently to coat completely. Lay the breadcrumbed spears on a baking tray.
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Pour the oil into a high-sided frying pan to a depth of 2cm. Heat the oil for a couple of minutes. It needs to be 150°C (if you have a thermometer) or sizzling when you add a breadcrumb. Working in batches, lower 5-6 asparagus spears into the oil and cook for 4 minutes, turning halfway, until just golden. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain while you do the next batch. Serve immediately with the houmous on the side for dipping.