Sorrel, asparagus, radishes: at last, some strong colours and flavours. After I’ve doused asparagus spears with melted butter at least once I’m up for something new, so we’ve been eating British asparagus with lemon-spiked gnocchi. The mellow of the cream and soft white fish underwrites the pepper of the seared radish in a quick and sustaining supper. Sorrel adds its vivid splash of green to a fresh and bolstering spring soup. This is food for the brighter days of May.
New potato gnocchi with asparagus
This is a gnocchi that is best made with new potatoes. Serves 4 as a starter. Ready in 75 minutes, including cooling time
new potatoes 250g, peeled
milk 500ml
lemon 1, finely zested
rice flour 40g
plain flour 40g
grated parmesan 30g, plus extra for sprinkling
parsley 2 tbsp roughly chopped
asparagus 400g
thyme leaves 1 tbsp
olive oil
Peel the potatoes and cut into small, roughly 5mm dice. In a saucepan over a moderate heat, bring 400ml of the milk to the boil with the diced potatoes, most of the lemon zest and a good pinch of salt. Whisk the remaining milk into the two types of flour and then incorporate this paste into the hot milk. Turn the heat down and stir frequently for 15 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in the cheese and parsley. Turn out this mixture on to a lightly oiled plate and smooth with a spatula to about 2cm thick. Set aside until cool and set – at least 35 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C fan/gas mark 7.
Wash and cut the asparagus in two lengthways, then roast with a sprinkle of salt, thyme leaves and olive oil on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the gnocchi into pieces very roughly 5cm by 5cm and place on a piece of greaseproof paper, set on another baking sheet. Dot with olive oil, a little more cheese and the remaining zest.
Turn the oven setting to grill. It should reach the required temperature pretty much straight away. Place the gnocchi in the oven and grill for 10 minutes until golden in places. (If you don’t have an oven grill, you can do this under a hot overhead grill or in a hot oven.)
Use a spatula to lift the gnocchi from the paper on to warm plates, along with the asparagus, freshly ground black pepper and even more grated cheese.
Vivid sorrel soup
Choose large fresh red chillies for this. They are often milder and their heat will increase once cooked whole with their seeds. If you don’t have sorrel, try a mix of tender spinach and basil leaves instead.
Serves 4. Ready in 75 minutes, plus 8 hours for soaking the beans
dried white beans 200g (or a tin of pre-cooked beans)
garlic 3 cloves
fresh large red chillies 2
olive oil
new onions 150g
smaller courgettes 300g
green beans or flat beans 150g
sorrel 1 bunch (150g)
double cream 50g
fresh soft herbs chervil, tarragon and dill would be my choice
Soak the dried beans overnight in cold water. Drain, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil in a pot with the garlic. Simmer until cooked, adding water when necessary but aiming for beans barely covered with liquid by the end. This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper.
If you have a gas hob, you can blister the chillies directly over the flames, turning them with tongs. I use a dry, heavy pan on my electric cooker. Once the skin is blistered all over, set aside to cool before cutting in half, removing the seeds with a teaspoon and peeling the flesh from the skins. Be cautious as this can burn your hands if your chillies are hot. Season with a little salt and dress with oil.
While the beans are cooking, begin on the rest. Chop the onions and slice the courgettes into thin rounds not even 5mm thick. Do similar with the green beans.
Run your knife through the sorrel several times before blitzing it in a food processor with the cream and 30ml of olive oil. Leave running until it turns to a green paste.
In a wider pan, sweat the onions in 2 tbsp of olive oil for 3 minutes with a pinch of salt over a moderate heat. Add the courgettes and continue to cook, stirring frequently. After 5 minutes, turn the heat up and add the hot beans with their liquid. If you’re using tinned beans, now is the time to add them with their liquid. Boil for 1 minute then add the green beans, adjusting the level of water if necessary. Cook for 5 minutes until the green beans are just tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the green sorrel paste. Adjust seasoning and serve warm, garnished with the mixed herbs picked over the top, red chilli torn into strips and extra olive oil. Add shavings of cheese if you wish.
Hake, cream and radishes
Best to get the fishmonger to cut the steaks, as hake is very flaky, delicate and mashes easily. I love simple cooking like this; it requires your full attention but only for a short time. Serves 2. Ready in 25 minutes
hake steaks 2, thinly cut (3cm thick)
radishes 6, with leaves
olive oil
butter 1 tbsp
white wine a splash
cream 2 tbsp
Ten minutes ahead of cooking, salt the fish on all sides. Trim the leaves from the radishes and wash, cut the radishes in two.
Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Heat a large pan over a medium heat with 2 tbsp of oil and add the radishes cut-side down. After 2 minutes, add the butter then the fish and turn the radishes over. Keep the heat moderate but not so low it will stick. Cook for 5 minutes before turning the fish over. Wait 1 minute more then add the leaves followed by the wine.
Cook for 3 minutes more, add the cream and turn the heat down slightly. It will quickly boil. Turn the heat off, baste and allow to sit in the pan for a couple of minutes before serving.
Baked apricots with almonds and sesame
A good way to use slightly harder underripe fruit. I do everything except baking them in advance, popping them into the oven when required. In summer I switch to plums. Serves 6. Ready in 15 minutes
ground almonds 100g
golden caster sugar 90g
egg whites 2
bitter almond extract 2 drops
fresh apricots 6
sesame seeds
Heat the oven to 190C fan/ gas mark 6½.
Mix the almonds with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk the whites ever so lightly and incorporate with 2 drops of bitter almond extract. Halve the apricots and remove the stones. Roughly shape a walnut-sized piece of the almond mixture into a ball and place on one of the cut sides of the apricots. Smooth down the edges over the fruit to make a dome.
Once all the apricots are filled, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place on a baking pan and roast for 10 minutes until golden on top. Eat while warm.
The Observer aims to publish recipes for fish rated as sustainable by the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide
Joe Trivelli is joint head chef of London’s River Café (rivercafe.co.uk)
Food styling by Henrietta Clancy
