Ingredients

• 200g/7oz asparagus
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• 150g/5½oz peas
• 25g/1 oz lovage
• roughly chopped
• 40g/1½oz butter
• 1 tsp crushed pink peppercorns
• 175g/6oz flour
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 30g/1oz Comte cheese
• grated
• 30g/1oz feta
• finely crumbled
• 2 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 150g/5½oz panko breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil
• for greasing and frying
• handful lovage
• handful sorrel
• 50ml/2fl oz rapeseed oil
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• handful wild garlic flowers
• to garnish
• 2 spring onions
• finely chopped
• handful broad beans
• podded
• 2 tbsp pea shoots
• 150g/5½oz soured cream
• to serve

Directions

• For the asparagus
• bring 400ml/14fl oz salted water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the asparagus and cook for 3–5 minutes
• or until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool slightly. Reserve the water in the pan. Discard the woody stems and chop the remaining stems into small pieces. Place the tips in a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice and oil.
• For the croquettes
• bring the asparagus water back to the boil and add the peas. Cook for 1 minute then add the lovage. Cook for 30 seconds. Reserve 50g/1¾oz of the peas and some of the cooking water. Blitz the rest of the peas and lovage in a food processor.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan and stir in the peppercorns. Gradually stir in 60g/2¼oz of the flour and cook for a few minutes until the mixture has thickened and is smelling nutty. Add the wine and a splash of the vegetable cooking water and cook for about 3 minutes
• or until thickened and a roux is created.
• Stir the cheeses
• lemon zest
• asparagus pieces
• blitzed pea mixture and the reserved whole peas into the wine roux. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Place the remaining flour
• egg and breadcrumbs onto three plates. Using oiled hands
• form the roux into croquette shapes and dip in the flour
• egg and breadcrumbs to coat completely. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the croquettes for 3–5 minutes
• or until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
• For the salad
• place the lovage
• sorrel
• oil and lemon juice in a salad bowl and stir to combine.
• Spread the soured cream on four plates and top with the croquettes. Scatter over the salad and asparagus tips. Garnish with the wild garlic flowers and pea shoots and serve.