Veg and recipe - asparagus and Parma ham

This is a classic way of serving asparagus, and for good reason.  The salty ham and rustic soft sweet asparagus are a match made in heaven.  It can be served as an elegant starter or for brunch as it’s great with eggs or a lemon mayonnaise dip.

Cook the asparagus spears in simmering salted boiling water for three to four minutes until tender.  Drain well and rinse under water cold water to cool them down.

Wrap the spears in Parma ham.  You can do three spears at a time for something more substantial and you can bake them in a preheated oven to 200°C for 10 minutes if you’d like the ham to be crisp.  If you don’t have any Parma ham you could use crispy bacon, baked on a cooling rack over baking sheet to catch the drips, for around 10-15 minutes.

As a starter this goes very well with a lemon mayonnaise dip which you can make by simply adding lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper to your mayo.  Or make your own dip by adding your favourite flavours such as garlic, honey and mustard to sour cream.  You could add some breadsticks wrapped in Parma ham for a different texture to dip or serve with a poached egg to turn it into a light lunch or brunch.