Asparagus with Whitebean Puree, Hazelnuts and Lemon & Black Pepper Flavour Pearls

Delicious, healthy and quick to prepare. This recipe for Aparagus with Whitebean Puree, Hazelnuts and Lemon & Black Pepper Flavour Pearls is a great starter or share dish. We simply blend a tin of Whitebeans with a little Tahini, Garlic, Lemon and Olive Oil and season it really well. Pop some Hazelnuts into the oven to toast briefly and roll some lightly oiled Asparagus across the BBQ or Pan until they are bright Green and tender. Topped with our aromatically sour Lemon & Black Pepper Flavour Pearls. Wah lah you’re onto a winner! If you are really time poor you could certainly just purchase your favourite Hommus and buy some Dukkah. All you’ll need to do is cook the Asaparaus then. 

I really enjoy the creaminess of the Whitebeans with the fresh Asparagus. Crunchy Hazelnuts and bursting sour Lemon & Black Pepper Flavour Pearls add wonderful texture and flavour to the dish.

What you’ll need

• Asparagus
• Whitebeans (Cannellini) – 1 tin 
• Tahini – 2 tablespoons
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Lemon 
• Hazelnuts
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Lemon & Black Pepper Flavour Pearls

To do

Put your oven on to 180c

Add the Hazelnuts and bake until lightly golden. Roughly chop 

Drain and rinse the Whitebeans in cold water. Add them to your blender with the Garlic clove, a generous squeeze of Lemon juice and Salt & Pepper. Give it a blitz. You will likely need to add a little more Lemon juice (to taste) and a splash of Olive oil (or water) if it’s too thick. If it tastes good and is nice and smooth it’s ready. This can be stored in the fridge for several days.

Next

Let’s trim the woody ends from the Asparagus. I tend to line them up on a chopping board and trim just beyond the lighter part of the stalk. Some people prefer to snap them but I find it can be a little wasteful! Give them a quick cold water rinse if they seem dirty/gritty. Spread them on a tray and lightly drizzle with a little Olive Oil. Roll them around a bit to evenly coat with the Oil. Season them well. 

Put them on to a hot BBQ, Grill Plate or Fry Pan. They will only take a couple of minutes. Turn them when they get a little colour. You want to see some dark/char colour patches and generally a brighter green look. If you’re unsure just eat one to check if it’s cooked enough. I like mine to be a little firm still.

To serve

Add a generous spoonful of Whitebean puree to each plate (or larger platter). Pile on some Grilled Asparagus, top with a sprinkle of Hazelnuts and finish with a generous spoonful of Lemon & Black Pepper Flavour Pearls.

Until next time

From the Peninsula Larder Team

“What do you call a group of men dressed up as asparagus?”

Answer: Asparaguys