Food At Faithlegg
One Saturday a month, head chef at Faithlegg House Hotel Jenny Flynn will join Maria McCann on The Saturday Café for Food At Faithlegg. This week Jenny is sharing a delicious Asparagus and Goats Cheese Bon Bons with Crisp Serrano Ham and Salsa Verde recipe. Jenny will share a seasonal recipe and talk about the upcoming trends in the food world, focusing on local suppliers. She will also give tips and tricks for entertaining at home.
Asparagus and Goats Cheese Bon Bons with Crisp Serrano Ham and Salsa Verde
Asparagus always makes me think of royalty. This time of year, the asparagus is at its finest, the normal season for asparagus is from the 1st of May for six weeks so get it when it’s in season, at its best, it has a delicate subtle taste and tender texture.
The key is to get it as fresh as possible break off the woody ends it will naturally snap at the stem where the wood starts,(great for stocks) peel the spear only if it they are really thick, then just throw them into a pot of boiling water for 3-5minutes, you can serve straight away with a knob of butter or I have a lovely recipe to showcase the royal asparagus.
Prepare the asparagus by snaping and peeling the stems blanch in boiling water and keep to the side
Goats Cheese Bon Bons
Ingredients
- 250g goat’s cheese
- 1tbsp flax seeds
- 2egg yolks
- Panko breadcrumbs
Method
(I love these, you can have them made in your freezer so handy for a quick lunch or snack)
I use a local Meadowfield goat's cheese simply rolled into balls, roll in seasoned flour, dip in egg yolk and then into the panko breadcrumb with flax seeds for texture. I would normally do this twice if they are going into the fryer or you can bake them also.
The serrano ham is simply baked in the oven the fat breaks down and the ham crisps up. No need to season as the ham tends to be salty.
Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1½-2 cloves garlic
- 2 big handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- 1 handful of fresh mint
- 1 small handful of capers
- 1 small handful of gherkins, in sweet vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 8 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- Splash of white wine vinegar or use vinegar from gherkins.
Method
Finely chop all the above separately and mix together.
This will last 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
This is also a great accompaniment with white fish or fish tacos.
On a large plate place the asparagus around the base and add a handful of garden salad and drizzle with the salsa Verde in the middle of the plate, dot the goat's cheese around and finish with the serrano ham crisps.
A salad fit for a king asparagus!
Enjoy!
Jenny Flynn, Executive Chef Faithlegg Hotel
About Faithlegg
Faithlegg is an award-winning 4-star hotel set in beautiful grounds with its own 18 – hole golf course right on the doorstep. Opened officially by FBD Hotels & Resorts in 1998, Faithlegg is a luxury property designed to meet the needs of the most discerning guest whether staying for business or leisure.
Dining is always a pleasure at Faithlegg, where talented Head Chef Jenny Flynn takes pride in creating delicious dishes showcasing the very best of local ingredients.
Faithlegg takes pride in its dedicated team and boasts many long-serving experienced staff whose wealth of knowledge and genuine duty of customer care has managed to reach and maintain a high standard of service over the years.
Follow Jenny Flynn on Twitter and check out Faithlegg on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or see faithlegg.com.
You can also check out other Food At Faithlegg recipes here.
