Asparagus season is ending soon. Celebrate it with a delicious vegetable stew and drink the Sattlerhof Sauv Blanc with it. Substitute any fresh new spring veg for artichokes and dust the top with some lemony breadcrumbs, with lemon zest, garlic and grated Parm.
Austrian Sauvignon Blanc is known for high quality and the impressive elegance of the wines from south Styria—especially from a producer like Sattlerhof. Handmade, incredible balance, just riveting. Its balance and complexity is perfection with this celebration of spring. If you can’t find it in a shop, it’s on the list at Wilfred’s.
This a take-off on a classic Roman dish which is all about spring veg. You can usually find small spring artichokes and fresh broad beans at the Italian Centre. There is a bit of prep, but you could blanch the vegetables in the morning and put together right before serving. Leave out the ham and use vegetable stock if you prefer a vegan dish. You could also add fresh fiddleheads.
| 1 bunch | asparagus, trimmed and halved |
| 8 | globe artichokes, stalks trimmed |
| 1 kg | (approx.) broad beans (to make about two c podded) |
| same amount of fresh peas, podded, or use frozen small peas | |
| 1½ T | extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve |
| 4 | spring onions, thickly sliced |
| 2 cloves | garlic, thinly sliced |
| 6 slices | prosciutto, coarsely torn |
| 2 c | chicken or vegetable stock |
| 2 c | mint, coarsely chopped (loosely packed) |
| ¾ c | flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (firmly packed) |
| finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon | |
| crusty white bread |
Blanch artichokes, in batches, until just tender (8-10 minutes). Cool slightly, peel away outer green leaves and trim tops by 2 cm, then remove the hairy choke with a teaspoon. Set aside.
Blanch peas and broad beans separately until just tender (2-4 minutes), refresh in iced water, drain. Peel the broad beans and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and prosciutto, and sauté until tender (5-10 minutes). Add the artichoke, asparagus and stock, cover and simmer over low heat until the artichoke is tender (about 5-10 minutes). Add peas and beans, cover and simmer until tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add mint, parsley, lemon rind and juice and cook until herbs wilt (about 1 minute). Drizzle with extra olive oil.
Serve warm with crusty bread and a glass of the Sattlerhof.
Serves 4-6.
