Asparagus and leeks braised in riesling and tarragon with prosciutto

Serves 2 Starters and mains

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Method

Trim the woody ends off the asparagus spears – an easy way to do this is to hold the root end in one hand, halfway up the stalk with the other, then gently bend it until it snaps. Wherever it breaks tends to be just about right. Rinse both the asparagus and the leeks, and dry with a clean kitchen cloth.

In a large, shallow casserole – one you have a lid for – heat 30g of butter over a medium-high heat. Once melted, add the asparagus and leeks and fry, turning once, for a few minutes until gently coloured. It doesn’t matter that the butter might burn here; those nutty qualities will enhance the dish.

Once the vegetables are coloured, pour in the wine and throw in the tarragon with a pinch of pepper. Pop on the lid, reduce the heat to fairly low and simmer for 10 minutes. Once the wine has reduced almost entirely, and the vegetables are soft but with a gentle resistance, it’s ready. Add the remaining butter in cubes and allow it to melt over the vegetables. Serve the asparagus and leeks with pieces of prosciutto draped in and among the veg.