May brings so much colour and vibrancy - to the hedgerows, fields, woodlands and gardens as well as to the kitchen table! I always have my eyes peeled for the first sign of local asparagus peeping up through the soil and it’s a joy to indulge in it time and again during the short season that it’s with us. Therefore, asparagus had to be on the menu as I shared breakfast with designer and ocean activist Avril Greenaway in Episode 14 of my podcast, Breakfast & Beyond. These filo parcels formed the second course of our breakfast, following on from Roasted Rhubarb Overnight Oats. They are simple to make, seriously yummy and I love the combination of the soft bite of asparagus set against the flaky filo pastry.
As ever, feel free to experiment with alternative ingredients according to what you already have that needs using up, or is available locally to you. I used St Enodoc asparagus, cheese from the Cornish Gouda Co and rowan berry jelly that I’d made with my sun Otto last summer; this could be replaced with another jelly or a dressing such a balsamic glaze.
I hope you enjoy!
Recipe: Asparagus & Lemon Filo Parcels
Serves 2 as main (perhaps accompany with a hearty salad), or 4 as a starter - makes 8 parcels
Ingredients:
24 asparagus spears (approx - this is for 3 spears per parcel, but you can adjust, especially if spears are thinner / wider)
6 sheets filo pastry
50ml olive oil + approx 2 tbsp for brushing filo sheets
1 lemon, juice and zest
40g gouda cheese, grated (or alternative cheese)
Salt, I use Cornish Sea Salt
Cracked pepper
3 tbsp rowan jelly (or alternative seasonal jelly / or make up a balsamic glaze)
Method:
Remove the filo pastry from the fridge approx 20 mins before use, allowing them to come up to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a couple of large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
In a wide baking tray or bowl, combine 50ml olive oil with the finely grated zest of the lemon along with the juice, and a generous pinch of salt and cracked pepper; stir to combine.
Grate the cheese.
Remove the woody ends from asparagus spears - find the natural breaking point where the tougher part of the steam meets the softer top section.
Place the asparagus spears in the baking tray with the oil and lemon mixture; stir gently to combine and leave the asparagus to sit in the dish while you prepare the filo pastry.
Lay one sheet of filo pastry out; use a pastry brush to brush a light layer of oil over the sheet, including working into the corners. Lay a second layer of filo pastry directly on top and repeat brushing with oil; place a third layer of filo pastry on top.
Use a sharp knife to cut the layers of filo sheets into quarters. Each quarter will then create one filo parcel.
Take one quartered rectangle of filo pastry, lay on top three spears of asparagus that have been marinating in the oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle over a pinch of grated cheese and drizzle on top 1 tsp rowan jelly. Brush the filo that will form the inside of the parcel using the oil and lemon juice mixture, then tightly roll up the parcel. Brushing the inside of the parcel with oil will help the parcel to stick together when wrapping the pastry around itself, but use a little more as required, especially when sealing the final edge of pastry onto the body of the parcel. Place the filo parcel in one of the prepared baking trays, lined with greaseproof paper.
Repeat until all eight filo parcels have been created. Leave a gap between parcels as you place them in the baking trays.
Place the baking trays in the oven, cook for approx 8 mins then turn them over and cook again for approx 7 mins until the pastry is golden all over.
While the asparagus parcels are in the oven, pour the remaining jelly into a dipping bowl.
Serve the asparagus parcels on a sharing plate with jelly to dip them into, you may wish to garnish the plate with seasonal edible flowers.
