Asparagus – One of the most sought after vegetables with its delicately tender succulent spears and unique, delicious taste. Cook it simply by steaming and serving with salted butter, this delicacy delivers a real treat to the taste buds in the short time it’s in season.
Suffolk’s coastal microclimate means that the area is perfectly suited to grow asparagus. From late April to mid-June, these purple and green spears of goodness are in season here if only for a few months. Along the Suffolk Coast asparagus is produced in abundance and sold in farm shops and farmers markets…
Friday Street Farm is a thriving arable farm situated near to the quintessentially English seaside towns of
Aldeburgh and
Southwold. Owned and farmed by the Blyth family for three generations, Friday Street Farm has been serving the local community for 39 years. The site hosts a large Farm Shop selling its seasonal produce so you’d be hard pushed to find a better place to buy freshly hand- picked asparagus spears.
A stone’s throw away in the pretty village of Wrentham, Seabreeze Asparagus believe their Asparagus crop is amongst the finest in the country, produced to the highest standard of food safety. They put the success of their vegetable crop down to the ideal climate on The Suffolk Coast – Sheltered from frost and having the added freshness of the ‘sea breeze’ to the flavour. In fact, you can even send a box of asparagus as a gift with a personalised message and make your purchase by mail order or on line!
Asparagus lovers visiting The Manor House and luxury holiday cottages at
Sibton Park Wilderness Estate near
Saxmundham are really in for a treat. The accommodation can be booked as self-catering properties or with a private chef and full waiting staff. Guests can indulge themselves by having one of Sibton Park Estate’s talented Chefs prepare a delicious dinner or country breakfast using the best of seasonal produce so you can have your own asparagus feast in your luxury cottage!
When not enjoying the luxury of a private Chef, why not have a go at cooking this delicious local delight at home. We were lucky enough to meet with local fisherman Dean Fryer, owner of Spring Tide who fishes of the Aldeburgh Coast and
Brudenell Seafood and Grill Head Chef, Tyler Torrence, who cooked up this delicious asparagus summer storm right on the beach with the freshest ingredients ever!
Tyler Torrence's Freshly Caught Seabass with Asparagus Salad
• Super fresh sea bass, caught that morning by Dean Fryer and landed at the beach in Aldeburgh, pan fried, skin side down using a hot, heavy bottomed pan to get that perfect crackling skin and then basted with butter to finish off the cooking - leave the butter in the pan to keep the fresh taste of the fish!
• Beautiful, tiny, spring vegetables, purple carrots & beetroot just pulled from my own garden, stalks, leaves and all, blanched for 3-4 minutes just to take the mighty crunch off, then lightly pan fried and dressed with a few drops of lemon zest, sugar syrup.
• Don't' forget to gently pan fry a few stems of local asparagus too.
• Mix some beautiful salad leaves, fresh herbs, and asparagus, (peel the stems and cut in half) add some Sea Purslane to the mix, you'll find this growing in the shingle on the beach. Dress them lightly with a drizzle of oil and light lemon zest syrup for the most beautifully, refreshing, vitamin busting summer salad.
• Serve the sea bass, crispy skin side up, with a dab of fresh pea puree, surrounded by the sweet pan fried vegetables and asparagus salad, dressed with the light, lemon zest syrup.
To die for!