Gratin of White Asparagus

Preparation Preheat the oven to 450°F (convection oven to 425°F). Brush a copper or ceramic gratin dish with a little of the melted butter. Trim the asparagus: you will find that white asparagus needs to be trimmed much higher—roughly halfway up the stalks, as a rule of thumb. Slice the spears in half lengthwise and lay them in the buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle with most of the lemon thyme leaves, saving a few for garnish. Now put the crème fraîche and mustard into a heavy pan and place over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat slightly and let bubble to reduce by about a quarter. Season the reduced mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, put the bread crumbs in a bowl, add the Parmesan, parsley, and some pepper, and toss with your fingers to combine. Pour the mustardy crème fraîche over the asparagus, then scatter the crumb mixture on top, distributing it evenly. Drizzle over the rest of the melted butter. Bake the gratin on the middle shelf of the oven until the top is crisp and golden and the cream bubbles up around the sides of the dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and serve. It is important not to overcook this dish—the asparagus should retain a bite and nuttiness. Overcooking could make the spears seem as though they have come out of a can. Reprinted with permission from My Favorite Ingredients by Skye Gyngell. Copyright © 2010 Skye Gyngell. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Skye Gyngell is the head chef at the award-winning Petersham Nurseries Café in southwest London. She is also an established food writer with a weekly column featuring recipes for the Independent on Sunday. Born in Australia, Skye has worked as a chef in Sydney, Paris, and London. In 2007, Skye's first cookbook, A Year in My Kitchen, was named Cookery Book of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers and the Best Food Book at Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards.

Preparation Preheat the oven to 450°F (convection oven to 425°F). Brush a copper or ceramic gratin dish with a little of the melted butter. Trim the asparagus: you will find that white asparagus needs to be trimmed much higher—roughly halfway up the stalks, as a rule of thumb. Slice the spears in half lengthwise and lay them in the buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle with most of the lemon thyme leaves, saving a few for garnish. Now put the crème fraîche and mustard into a heavy pan and place over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat slightly and let bubble to reduce by about a quarter. Season the reduced mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, put the bread crumbs in a bowl, add the Parmesan, parsley, and some pepper, and toss with your fingers to combine. Pour the mustardy crème fraîche over the asparagus, then scatter the crumb mixture on top, distributing it evenly. Drizzle over the rest of the melted butter. Bake the gratin on the middle shelf of the oven until the top is crisp and golden and the cream bubbles up around the sides of the dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and serve. It is important not to overcook this dish—the asparagus should retain a bite and nuttiness. Overcooking could make the spears seem as though they have come out of a can. Reprinted with permission from My Favorite Ingredients by Skye Gyngell. Copyright © 2010 Skye Gyngell. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Skye Gyngell is the head chef at the award-winning Petersham Nurseries Café in southwest London. She is also an established food writer with a weekly column featuring recipes for the Independent on Sunday. Born in Australia, Skye has worked as a chef in Sydney, Paris, and London. In 2007, Skye's first cookbook, A Year in My Kitchen, was named Cookery Book of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers and the Best Food Book at Le Cordon Bleu World Food Media Awards.