Griddled Asparagus wrapped in Parma Ham

 We were able to visit the not-too-distant farm shop called the Shop in the Shed which stocks a good selection of gluten free goodies (of note are the breads from the Wheat Free Bakery Direct) recently.  The asparagus season had just begun on the farm and we were given a bunch (a very generous one) of freshly cut spears.

Generally, less is more when it comes to dealing with fresh produce, so we decided to make a very simple 'recipe'... just two ingredients - Parma Ham and asparagus.  Simplicity itself.

The asparagus spears were prepared by a quick wash, then the stems were bent untill they snapped (during and after shot shown!).







Next the stems were wrapped in Parma Ham.  We used just enough ham to wrap the stem once, getting about three stems wrapped in a slice but obviously this will depend on the size of the stems of asparagus.

Whilst we were wrapping the asparagus stems, we'd heated the griddle pan so it was sizzling hot by the time they were ready.

The wrapped stems were placed on the griddle and turned about every 2 minutes (we did this 3 times but, again, this will depend on the thickness of the asparagus spears being used).

After cooking, the ham had taken on a lovely seared appearance and the asparagus was starting to wilt.  Stacking the spears in a dish, they were ready to be eaten.  They didn't last long as asparagus is one of Sous Chef J's favourite vegetables.

This is a really simple and tasty way to serve asparagus and would also work well if it was prepared ahead and cooked on a barbecue if there's sunny/dry weather about.