Ragout of peas and broad beans with asparagus and morel mushrooms

Ian McNaught: Chef

Ingredients:

100g of fresh morels - or mushroom of choice, but I recommend morel if they are in season (Spring)
100g of fresh broad beans shelled and peeled
100g shelled fresh peas or defrosted frozen peas
12 asparagus tips which have been trimmed
6 finely chopped spring onions
50g of sliced pancetta
50g of unsalted butter
100 ml of double cream
1 tablespoon of chopped mint

Method:

Brush and clean the morels
Heat the butter in the pan and add the pancetta and fry lightly
Add the morels and cook for 3 or 4 minutes
Blanch the broad beans in salty boiling water for three minutes
Refresh the broad beans by putting them in ice water and then take them out of their skins
Blanch the peas for just one minute, they don't need de-skinning
Add the peas and the broad beans to the mixture
Give a good seasoning and toss the ingredients around
Add the double cream
Bring to the boil
Add the spring onions
Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute to take the raw edge off the spring onions
Add the chopped mint
Season and taste
Cook the asparagus in salty water for 3 - 4 minutes to keep al dente texture and then drain and griddle in a pan for a few minutes in olive oil until slightly blackened and brush lightly with butter

Serve

Put the ragout in a dish and then top with the grilled asparagus. This dish would be a great accompaniment to a nice piece of grilled halibut or turbot and some Jersey Royal potatoes on the side.