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In this thirteenth edition of the Asparagus Festivalthe chef Begoña Rodrigoowner of the acclaimed restaurant La Salita, in Valenciareceived a deserved tribute. With a Michelin Star and three Repsol Suns to her credit, Rodrigo has been recognized as the Best Vegetable Cook in Europe and the 2nd Best in the World in 2023, a title awarded by We're Smart World. Her outstanding culinary work, specialized in vegetables, pickles, and her work as ambassador of vegetables from Navarra, It was a source of admiration and recognition during the event.

It was also recognized Javier Díaz Zalduendo, chef of the Alhambra in Pamplonamember of the Reyno chefs association and native of Arróniz, the town where this event took place, which symbolizes the arrival of spring and the importance of Navarra asparagus.

The sector, which brings together 400 professionals working hard all year round, from growing to packagingis distinguished by its careful selection of the land and its traditional underground cultivation method, which preserves its characteristic white color and flavor. Harvesting is done by hand, paying attention to the optimal harvest time.

How to cook them

There are many recipes that can be made with the asparagus as the main ingredient. Today we bring five, and in some of them we talk about cooked asparagus, a preparation that can be done traditionally or at low temperature.

To cook them in a traditional way, Twelve asparagus, salt and sugar are enough; and consists of peeling the asparagus with the peeler, excluding the yolk, cooking them with salt and a little sugar, and then cooling them in ice water.

To make them at low temperature, you also need 12 asparagus, salt, sugar and a vacuum bag. They are peeled with the peeler, excluding the yolk, placed in a cooking bag, salt and a little sugar are added and cooked at 100ºC in the Sous-vide for 20 minutes. They are then cooled in ice water. This method makes the cooking of the asparagus more even between the stem and the bud compared to the traditional way.

Five recipes

Roasted asparagus with strawberry vinaigrette

For the vinaigrette:

– 100 gr. of strawberries

– Extra virgin olive oil

– Salt

Elaboration:

Wash and chop the strawberries. Put in a bowl and add the oil and salt. Let it marinate for a few minutes.

To end:

– 16 cooked asparagus

– Vinaigrette

– Flowers

– Smoked salt

Elaboration:

Sear the asparagus in a frying pan, giving it a nice golden color. Add the vinaigrette, smoked salt and place some flowers.

Comment:

Union of two great products that are in their splendor. The strawberry will provide freshness and a slight sweet contribution that can contrast perfectly with the bitterness of the asparagus.

Asparagus with its air and peas sautéed with ham oil

For the asparagus and parsley water air:

– Parsley

– 500 gr. of water from cooking the asparagus

– 5 gr. from Lecite

Elaboration:

Blanch the parsley and cool in ice water. Then strain to remove the water. Heat the asparagus water, add the blanched parsley. Strain and add the lecite. Blend with a blender to introduce air.

For the peas:

– 200 gr. peeled pea

– 1 clove garlic

– Ham oil

– Salt (optional)

Elaboration:

Sauté the chopped garlic with the oil in a frying pan. When it starts to dance, add the peas. Sauté them and adjust the salt.

To finish:

– 8 cooked asparagus

– Sauteed peas

– Asparagus air

– Pea sprout

Elaboration:

Regenerate the asparagus in the oven. Napar with the air of asparagus and parsley. Add the peas, and decorate with the sprouts.

Asparagus with creamy potato, chamomile sabayon and ham

For the creamy potato:

– 500 gr. of patatos

– 250 gr. milk

– A little piece of Starlux

– 200 gr. extra virgin olive oil

Elaboration:

Cook the potato with skin and salt. Once cooked, peel and pass through a masher with holes as fine as possible. Boil the milk, add the Starlux, mix well with the milk and strain. Blend the whole thing with the oil until it forms a homogeneous paste and add a pinch of salt.

Comment: Depending on the potato, you will need to add more or less milk

For the chamomile sabayon:

– 2 organic free-range egg yolks

– 4 tablespoons of chamomile from Sanlúcar de Barrameda

– Salt

– White pepper

Elaboration:

Emulsify the yolks in a bowl in a bain-marie. Add the chamomile and continue emulsifying. Adjust salt.

To end:

– Cooked asparagus.

– Creamy potato.

– Chamomile Sabayon.

– Joselito Ham.

Elaboration:

Place the creamy potato in a semi-deep plate. Mark the grilled asparagus and arrange them on top. Coat lightly with the sabayon. Chop the ham and sauté with a little oil in a frying pan.

Asparagus with Malaga white garlic and sea urchins

For the white garlic:

– 1 clove garlic

– 50 gr. raw almonds

– 25 gr. stale bread

– 25 ml. extra virgin olive oil

– ½ tablespoon of vinegar

-Salt

– 75 ml. of water

Elaboration:

Let all the white garlic ingredients rest for 1 hour. Grind them and emulsify them with the oil. Adjust salt.

For the hedgehog yolks:

– 12 hedgehogs of 70 g/u.

Elaboration:

Kill the hedgehogs by scalding them in boiling water for 10 seconds. Open them at the base with the help of scissors, making a circle 2 cm in diameter.

Remove the yolks from the inside of the urchins and keep them in the urchin's own water passed through a strainer. Store in the refrigerator.

To end:

– Hedgehogs.

– Cooked asparagus.

– White garlic.

– Flowers.

Elaboration:

Grill the asparagus. Arrange the white garlic on the base and curiously place the asparagus, the hedgehogs on one side. Decorate with flowers.

Asparagus with guacamole, shrimp gazpachuelo and its cream

For the guacamole:

– 2 units of avocado

– 2 units of lime

– 150g of chives

– Coriander or parsley

– 1 tomato

Elaboration:

Peel the avocado and season with salt, lime and cilantro. Chop it with a fork to mix it well. Blanch the tomatoes, seed them and cut them into pieces. Chop the chives into brunoise.

Mix everything and season with salt and pepper. Add a squeezed lime to the entire mixture and set aside.

For the shrimp gazpachuelo.

For the shrimp broth:

– Heads and shells of 4 shrimp

– ½ onion

– ½ potato

Elaboration:

Sauté the heads and shells of the prawns with the onion and the potato cut into hulls, add. Cover with water and cook for about 20 minutes at most and strain. Reserve.

For the gazpachuelo:

– ½ liter of shrimp broth

– 125 gr. mayonnaise

Elaboration:

Heat the broth without boiling, pour it over the mayonnaise and mix very well. Keep it at a temperature never higher than 80º C, otherwise it will break.

For the creamy shrimp:

– ½ Onion

– ½ unit of Leek

– ½ unit of carrot

– 1 clove of garlic

– 20g. tomato sauce

– Prawns

– 50 ml extra virgin olive oil

– 1 splash Brandy

– 1 splash white wine

– Soup bread

Elaboration:

Peel the vegetables and chop in mirapoix and sauté with the oil over low heat. Peel the shrimp and reserve the heads and shells. When it is poached, add the heads and shells and sauté over medium-high heat. Add the brandy, reduce the alcohol. Then add the white wine and reduce the alcohol. Add the tomato and fry. Let it also reduce and moisten with water. Add the soup bread and let it boil for two hours. Adjust salt. Grind with the help of a food processor and strain through a fine sieve. Put it back on the heat and give it the desired texture. You can add express cornstarch if necessary.

To end:

– The body of the 4 shrimp

– Gazpachuelo

– Guacamole

– Creamy shrimp

Elaboration:

Mark the 4 prawns lightly, arrange the gazpachuelo on the bottom of the plate and add points of guacamole and points of the creamy shrimp. Serve with the 4 prawns.