Michael and Pippa say: “Sauce gribiche is a French classic and one that (I think) is not well known enough. It’s basically an egg sauce, but there’s a lot going on flavour- and texture-wise. You have the saltiness, acidity and creaminess of the sauce combined with a bit of smokiness from the charred vegetables, creating a dish of piquant deliciousness. I like the texture of the gluten-free flaky pastry for these tarts, but you can use any of the flaky pastries, or even puff. If you like, bake the pastry rectangles, make the sauce gribiche and boil the potatoes ahead of time. With most of the elements ready to go, assembly is quick and easy whenever you want to serve it. Adapt this dish to whichever season you’re in – replacing the asparagus with mushrooms or baby leeks. Add some cold-smoked salmon or trout for extra decadence.”

Ingredients

For the sauce gribiche:

• 150g (3 medium) eggs
• 55g round or banana shallots, finely diced
• 5g (1 tbsp) finely chopped dill
• 5g (1 tbsp) finely chopped parsley
• 10g Nasturtium capers, roughly chopped (see below)
• 20g cornichons, thinly sliced
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 10g (2 tsp) wholegrain mustard (see below)
• 55g crème fraîche
• 55g mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, chopped
• 1/4 tsp caraway seeds, chopped
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Flaky sea salt, to taste

For the pastry:

• ½ quantity flaky gluten-free pastry (see below)

To assemble:

• 400g purple congo, kipfler (fingerling) or new potatoes
• 12 asparagus spears, trimmed
• 8 spring onions, trimmed
• Flaky sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 large handful of salad leaves and herbs

Method

To make the sauce gribiche, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the eggs and boil for 10 minutes, then drain and run them under cold water. Peel and roughly chop the eggs or grate on the coarse side of a box grater.

Combine all the remaining gribiche ingredients, except the lemon juice and salt, in a medium bowl. Taste and then season with lemon juice. Do not add salt until you are ready to serve, as the salt may draw out too much moisture and make the sauce runny.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Put the pastry on a lightly floured kitchen bench and roll it out into a rectangle measuring 25 x 40cm and 4mm thick. Neaten the edges and cut four rectangles, 12 x 18cm. Put the rectangles on the lined tray, cover and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake for 18–20 minutes, turning the tray halfway through, until the pastries are golden all over. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, wash the potatoes and put them in a medium saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the potatoes until they are slightly soft, around 20–40 minutes depending on their size and freshness. They’re ready when a knife inserted into a potato will go through with little resistance. Drain and set aside to cool. Cut into 5mm thick slices.

When you’re ready to assemble the pastries, heat a chargrill or griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Grill the asparagus and spring onions for two to three minutes on each side until lightly charred. Do the same with the sliced potatoes. Season the veggies with a little salt and pepper, drizzle with a good splash of olive oil and set aside.

Once cool, cut the asparagus and spring onion into thirds. Arrange the potato over the base of each pastry rectangle, overlapping the slices a little. Add the spring onion and asparagus, then a good spoonful of sauce gribiche. Finish with a few salad leaves and herbs on top, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Gluten-free flaky pastry

Michael and Pippa say: “I had never made gluten-free pastry before researching for this book, and won’t deny I was wondering how on earth I was going to do it well. After a lot of research and trial and error, I finally have a recipe that tastes good and performs well. It can be used to make galettes or pies and is excellent for sausage rolls. The technique used here is similar to making puff pastry by laminating a butter sheet into the dough. I do four folds to build up layers of butter through the dough. If your dough feels a bit tough when you first start laminating it, use your rolling pin to beat the dough a little to make it more pliable. One benefit of not having gluten in the dough is that you don’t need to rest it between folds to allow the protein bonds to relax. So once you’ve made the dough and prepared your butter sheet, you can chill them and then do all the folds at once. However, there is a caveat: in a warm kitchen you might find that the butter starts to melt; in this case, cover and refrigerate the dough after a couple of folds to firm up the butter a little.”

Makes 1kg 

Ingredients

• 90g tapioca starch
• 90g potato starch
• 20g pea or soy flour
• 140g brown rice flour, plus extra for dusting
• 70g sorghum flour
• 10g xanthan gum
• 7g fine salt
• 100g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 cm cubes
• 230g chilled water
• 250g block unsalted butter, at room temperature, for laminating

Method

Combine the tapioca starch, potato starch, pea flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Scatter over the butter cubes. Mix on medium speed until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. With the mixer running, add the water and mix to bring it all together into a firm dough with the texture of playdough. It should have a slight stickiness; if it feels too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating it fully between additions.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured kitchen bench and knead it for three to four minutes, then shape it into a rectangle roughly measuring 18 x 20cm. Cover and refrigerate the dough for two hours, or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare the butter for laminating. Place the butter block between two sheets of baking paper and use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle roughly measuring 18 x 20cm. Put the butter in the fridge, between the sheets of baking paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight.

Remove the dough and rolled-out butter from the fridge 15 minutes before you laminate the pastry. You want the butter to be malleable but not too soft.

Nasturtium Capers 

Michael and Pippa say: “We love nasturtiums in the garden for their abundance of flowers and foliage. They provide green cover on our garden fences and are a great companion plant for our vegetables. Throughout summer we use the leaves and flowers in salads and to make nasturtium butter, and in early autumn we rummage through the leaves looking for the seed pods to make capers. The seed pods grow under the leaves in clusters of three. Make sure you pick young seeds that are still a little soft; once they get hard and yellow they are no good. Once pickled, you can use nasturtium capers the same way you’d use real capers. They’re great chopped into salads, stir-fries, pasta sauces or dressings. A little goes a long way.”

Fills one 300ml jar

Ingredients

• 150g nasturtium seed pods
• 500g water
• 60g (2 tbsp) fine salt
• 250g white-wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 thyme sprigs

Method

Go through the nasturtium seeds and remove any bits of dried flower, then rinse them to remove any dirt. Put them in a wide-mouthed heatproof jar, around 500ml capacity.

Bring the water and salt to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the salt, then pour the hot brine over the seed pods.

Put a cup in the top of the jar to ensure the seeds are completely submerged. Leave at room temperature for 3 days. Drain the seeds and rinse to remove the excess salt, then put them in a sterilised 300ml, or divide among several smaller jars. Bring the vinegar, sugar, bay leaves and thyme to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then pour the liquor over the seeds, including the bay and thyme. Seal the jar and turn upside down to create a vacuum.

Store the unopened jar in the pantry for up to 12 months. Refrigerate after opening and use within 3 months.

Wholegrain mustard

Michael and Pippa say: “This wholegrain mustard is so straightforward to make. The ingredients are easy to find and the result packs more punch than anything you can buy in a jar. You can also tailor it, swapping out the dark ale for other liquids such as wine or water, or varying the herbs used. Brown mustard seeds are hotter than yellow, so if you like your mustard hot use more brown seeds. For a milder version, use more yellow seeds.”

Fills two 300ml jars

Ingredients

• 100g yellow mustard seeds
• 100g brown mustard seeds
• 80g dark ale
• 240g apple-cider vinegar
• 60g honey
• 20g flaky sea salt
• 1 tsp chopped thyme

Method

Combine the yellow and brown mustard seeds. Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind 130g of the seeds into a fine powder. Combine the mustard powder with the remaining whole seeds in a medium bowl. Bring the ale to the boil in a small saucepan, then pour it over the mustard.

In a separate bowl, mix the vinegar, honey and salt until well combined, then whisk this into the mustard mixture. Transfer to a container and put in the fridge to mature for  three to four weeks. After a week or so, give it a mix with a spoon to evenly distribute the mixture.

Once the mustard mixture is mature, add the thyme and stir it through thoroughly. Spoon into sterilised jars. Store the unopened jars in the pantry for 12 months. The mustard matures in flavour the longer you keep it. Refrigerate after opening and use within 6 months.

From All Day Baking by Michael & Pippa James (Hardie Grant, £25), out now

Theo says: “Hake is a deliciously sweet and clean-tasting white fish found throughout the Mediterranean and is also one of the UK’s most sustainable. Unfortunately it doesn’t make it onto our kitchen tables as much as the so-called ‘big five’ (haddock, cod, tuna, salmon and prawns/shrimp) and it should! The first time I cooked this recipe was in the south of France for a staff lunch when asparagus was in season and I had just bought a bunch from a roadside stall outside someone’s home. In fact, it was just an old broken wooden stall laden with packs of asparagus and a pot to leave the money in. This dish was such a hit that it’s been a staple for our summer lunches there ever since. Crisp, lightly roasted green vegetables enveloped in a wine, butter and lemon dressing with the roasted fish resting on top, it’s simple and for me, beautiful, and best of all, it’s all cooked in the oven in one pan.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 250g on-the-vine cherry tomatoes
• 200g fine green beans, trimmed
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 200ml white wine
• 60ml olive oil
• 200g fresh spinach leaves, washed and stemmed
• 200g fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 250g frozen petit pois
• 2 lemons, each cut into quarters
• 60g butter
• 4 x 200g hake fillets, skinned
• 2 tbsp each of chopped flat-leaf parsley and dill
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
• Boiled new potatoes, to serve (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7.

Snip the vines of the cherry tomatoes with kitchen scissors to make four roughly even-sized pieces. Put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, just to warm them through and split the skins slightly. Set aside.

Put the beans and garlic in a large, deep-sided roasting pan. Pour over the wine and add a splash of olive oil. Mix together and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes then remove.

Next add the spinach leaves and toss them with the beans so that they will wilt slightly from the heat. Follow with the asparagus and petit pois and toss again to combine. Squeeze the juice from the lemon wedges over the vegetables and drop them into the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle over a little more olive oil and dot half the butter over the vegetables.

Place the hake fillets on top of the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and put a small piece of the remaining butter on each one. Return the pan to the hot oven and roast for a further 7–10 minutes, until the flesh flakes easily.

To serve, add the roasted tomatoes to the pan, scatter over the chopped parsley and dill and take the whole pan to the table. Serve with boiled new potatoes, if liked.

From Rustica by Theo Michaels (£16.99, Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99), out now

Alice says: “Believe it or not, Persians never even made feta. Well, not the marinated kind, at any rate. In fact, the very notion of a ‘Persian feta’ came about in the Yarra Valley, in the Australian state of Victoria – the same state responsible for over 90 per cent of the country’s asparagus production! Dairy scientist Richard Thomas, often referred to as ‘The Godfather of Cheese’, had come upon an all-new preservation technique on his travels through Iran, which rendered feta silkier and creamier than ever before. These days, this style of feta is far more readily available around the world – perhaps even in Iran.”

Makes 2 Omelettes

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 50g Persian feta, crumbled, plus 2 tbsp of the marinating oil
• 1 bunch of asparagus, thicker spears halved lengthways
• Parsley leaves, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Separate four of the eggs, placing the egg whites in a large bowl, and the yolks with the remaining two eggs in another bowl.

Whisk the yolks and eggs until creamy. Wash the whisk well, then whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.

Fold a little of the beaten egg white through the yolky mixture, then swirl the rest through using a flexible spatula and a figure-of-eight motion until combined.

Working in two batches, heat one tablespoon of the marinating oil in an ovenproof 18cm non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add half the asparagus and cook for 30 seconds to soften slightly. Remove to a plate.

Pour half the egg mixture into the hot pan. It’ll be fluffier than you think, so treat it more like a pancake, waiting until the top has set a little, before popping in the asparagus mixture and a bit of the feta on the outer corner, folding over gently and whacking into the oven for 2 minutes, or until the egg is just set.

Carefully transfer to a plate. Drizzle with more marinated feta and a little more of the oil. Season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately, scattered with parsley.

Shortcut: If you’re whisking off somewhere and can’t be bothered whisking a thing, crack 3 eggs into a bowl and fork them together until the whites and yolks are broken up and mostly uniform in colour. Use the oil to cook skinny discs of asparagus until just tender (or keep it raw if it’s super fresh), then pour the eggs over, like a crepe batter, stir about a bit, flip over and onto a plate.

Double duty: Marinated goat’s cheese is a wonder ingredient – first it’s a mezze board marvel, then it’s a salad dressing dahhhling, and finally, it even blitzes into a whipped cheese dip with the magical addition of soy milk. That’s a tip from my chef mate Mark Best.

From In Praise Of Veg by Alice Zaslavsky (Murdoch Books, £30), out now

Kristina and Davide say: “Spring is the perfect time to eat delicate asparagus. There are many ways to use these tender stalks but we love them grilled or steamed in salads. In this recipe we steam the asparagus so it’s still crunchy – the soft poached egg yolk acts almost as a dressing once you break it over the finished dish, and the speck and pecorino add a salty finish. This dish is great for brunch, as well as lunch.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 150g Italian speck, rind removed
• 100g pecorino
• 12 asparagus spears
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g red radishes
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Make sure the speck and pecorino are both at room temperature, as this will allow the full flavours of these key ingredients to be enjoyed at their best.

Trim about 2.5–5cm off the bottom of the asparagus (this should be where the stalks would naturally snap if bent in half), then place them in a steamer set over a pan of boiling water and cook for about 4 minutes, or until just tender.

Meanwhile, to make the poached egg yolk, bring a small pan of water to a gentle boil. Separate the eggs, then very carefully slide a spoon under the yolks, one by one. Gently put them into the pan of water and cook for about two minutes, or until the outside of the yolk is firm (the centre should still be soft). Remove them carefully from the water with a slotted spoon and leave in a warm place while you make the salad.

Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat until hot. Chop the speck into small 5mm dice and put in the hot pan and fry for one to two minutes until crisp. Remove and put the speck into a large bowl. Finely slice the radishes (a Japanese mandolin is very useful for this) and add to the bowl. Roughly chop the asparagus and add to the bowl too. Whisk the vinegar with the olive oil and dress the salad. Season to taste and arrange on serving plates. Finely shave the pecorino over the top and add a warm egg yolk.

From Savage Salads: Fierce Flavours, Filling Power-ups by Kristina Gustafsson and Davide Del Gatto (Frances Lincoln, £16.99), out now

Jo says: “Gnudi are gnocchi-like dumplings made from ricotta and semolina (rather than potato), so are really light in texture. They can appear a little fiddly to make, but you’ll soon get into the swing of it – and the end result is worth the effort. I serve these with blanched peas and asparagus, then toss in a super delicious pea shoot pesto. It’s light, summery and makes a perfect starter or sharing plate.”

Serves 4

• 350g ricotta cheese
• 25g finely grated parmesan cheese or vegetarian equivalent
• 1 egg yolk
• A really good grating of nutmeg
• 200g semolina
• 250g asparagus tips
• 125g frozen peas
• Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto:

• 75g pea shoots
• 20g basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 40g pine nuts
• 50g grated parmesan cheese or vegetarian equivalent
• 125ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Method

Line a sieve with a piece of muslin or new J-cloth. Set over a bowl and tip in the ricotta. Gather up the sides of the cloth and tie tightly with string or an elastic band. Leave to drain excess liquid from the ricotta for around four hours. Transfer the ricotta to a clean bowl and beat in the parmesan, egg yolk and nutmeg, and season.

Spread the semolina onto a baking tray that fits into your fridge.

Roll walnut-size balls of the gnudi mixture in your hands then roll around in the semolina. You should end up with around 24 balls. Press each one lightly with the back of a fork to flatten slightly. Sprinkle some of the semolina over the top of the gnudi and pop in the fridge, uncovered, for around 12 hours to dry out. The longer you leave them the better, as they will stay nice and firm when cooked.

To make the pesto, put all of the ingredients aside from the oil in a food processor and pulse to finely chop together. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until you have a smooth pesto. Season with salt and pepper. If you’re not using it straight away, cover the surface with a layer of olive oil to prevent discolouration.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the asparagus and peas, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Return the water to a simmer and at the same time, heat a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Shake off any excess semolina from the gnudi and carefully lower half into the simmering water. Cook gently for two minutes, until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and sit in a sieve or colander. Repeat with the remaining gnudi. Add half of the pesto to the hot frying pan. Add the asparagus, peas and gnudi. Gently toss around to coat in the pesto and serve.

Flexible
Light and delicate, crab is a perfect addition to the gnudi. Lightly dress 100g flaked white crabmeat in a trickle of extra virgin olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of salt and twist of black pepper. Scatter over the top of the finished dish as you serve.

From The Flexible Vegetarian by Jo Pratt (Frances Lincoln, £20), out now