This makes a very tasty starter or can be used as a supper dish accompanied by a mixed salad. You will need:
Light olive oil for frying;
Salt and pepper;
A bunch of asparagus (the thin spears work best);
4 eggs;
½ lemon;
75g freshly grated parmesan;
and 4 tablespoons chopped parsley with extra to use as garnish.
Remove the woody ends of the asparagus spears and cut off the heads (these can be used raw in your salad). Chop the spears us into small pieces. Put on a pan of salted water and when it is boiling add the chopped asparagus for 1 minute then pour into a colander and run under cold water to stop further cooking and drain.
In a bowl whisk the eggs, add in the lemon juice and season. Then mix in the grated parmesan, the drained asparagus and the parsley.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and carefully drop in a few spoonfulls of the mixture which you can then shape into fritters using the back of the spoon or a spatula. Cook over a medium heat until golden on both sides and drain on kitchen paper before serving. Add more oil to the pan with each new batch.
I serve 4 per person with plenty of salad and garnish with chopped parsley or chopped spring onions. With a light, crisp wine they are a great way to welcome in the Spring.