Asparagus with Parma Ham, Soft Boiled Quail’s Eggs & Celery Salt

A fun, interactive nibble that showcases one of spring’s most eagerly awaited ingredients – asparagus.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 12 asparagus spears
• 6 slices Parma ham
• 12 quail’s eggs
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears so they are all of an equal length. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and blanch the asparagus for two minutes. Drain, and refresh in ice-cold water then set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 200C. Cut each slice of ham in half, then wrap each half around an asparagus spear. Place the wrapped asparagus on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10-15 mins, or until the ham is crisp.
3. To cook the eggs, place them in a large pan of boiling water and cook for a little less than two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the eggs in iced water to cool.
4. Serve the wrapped asparagus with a lemon wedge, let each guest peel their quail’s eggs before sprinkling with celery salt.