Asparagus with a crunchy herb topping and new potatoes

First, peel the white asparagus. Then trim off the ends of the green and white asparagus. Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add some salt and sugar to the water. Boil the white asparagus for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the herbs under cold water, pluck them and chop them finely. Mix the chopped herbs with the wholemeal breadcrumbs in a bowl. Melt 125 g butter and add to the herb mixture with the olive oil. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and the grated Parmesan and stir. Season the crust with coriander, fennel, salt and pepper. Place the mixture in the fridge for about 15 minutes so that it can set. Preheat the oven to 240 °C (conventional oven) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Scrub the Annabelle potatoes under cold water and cook for about 20 minutes in salted water until al dente. Drain the potatoes and leave to cool. Then cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and place them on the baking tray. Place the asparagus on the baking tray and cover with the herb topping.  Bake on the middle shelf for 15 minutes until the topping turns golden brown.

In the meantime, melt the remaining butter and chop a few stalks of parsley. Arrange the potatoes and asparagus on a plate, pour a little melted butter on top and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Bon appétit!