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Grilled asparagus with serrano ham & romesco sauce
Serves: 4 as a starter
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Andrew Montgomery
Grilled asparagus with serrano ham & romesco sauce
Serves: 4 as a starter
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time:
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
263Kcal
Fat
20gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
10gr
Sugars
6gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
1.2gr
Lucas Hollweg
Lucas Hollweg is a self-taught cook and food writer respected for his laid-back, homely food. He was named Evelyn Rose 2012 Cookery Journalist of The Year and is author of Good Things To Eat.
Lucas Hollweg
Lucas Hollweg is a self-taught cook and food writer respected for his laid-back, homely food. He was named Evelyn Rose 2012 Cookery Journalist of The Year and is author of Good Things To Eat.
Ingredients
- 24 spears of asparagus (about 400g)
- 4 slices of serrano (or Parma) ham, halved lengthways
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, finely ground in a pestle and mortar
- a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
For the romesco sauce
- 50g blanched almonds (or mixed almonds and hazelnuts)
- 1 slice of country or white sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- a large pinch of sea salt flakes
- 1 vine tomato, core removed
- 1 roasted pepper from a jar, drained
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp sherry vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Step by step
Get ahead
Make the romesco sauce up to a day ahead; keep in the fridge but serve at room temperature. Prepare the asparagus, ready for griddling, a few hours ahead.
- Start by making the romesco sauce. Put three-quarters of the nuts into a food processor and blitz to a coarse powder. Add the bread, garlic, salt, tomato, roasted pepper, smoked paprika, sherry vinegar and olive oil, and whiz to a smooth sauce.
- Add the remaining nuts and whiz so they are still a bit chunky. Taste and season with extra salt and smoked paprika, if needed. Set aside.
-
Next, simmer the asparagus in a little boiling water in a shallow wide-based pan for 3-5 minutes or until just tender; drain. Sprinkle each half slice of ham with a little ground fennel seed and wrap three asparagus stems in each slice of ham.TipRomesco is a classic Spanish sauce. It also partners well with griddled prawns, lamb cutlets or roast chicken.
- Heat a griddle pan until searing hot and cook the asparagus bundles, turning a few times during cooking, until lightly charred.
- Pile the bundles on to a large plate for sharing, splash a little extra olive oil over the tips and sprinkle over a little more salt, if you want to. Serve the romesco sauce alongside in a bowl for sharing.