Sautéed asparagus, toasted almonds & manchego cheese
Drizzle asparagus with nutty brown butter, top with toasted whole almonds and shavings of salty manchego for a springtime starter that's so simple to make
Start by making the shallot purée. In a large pan, melt the butter over a medium heat and stir in the shallots and bay. Season with salt and lower the heat. Cover and allow to sweat and simmer very gently for 40-50 mins until soft and translucent. They should create a lot of juices. Pour in the double cream and boil for 1 min. Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to put the shallots in a blender with just enough of the liquid to allow them to purée. Add more of the liquid if necessary but you should have a thickish consistency. Push through a sieve for a smoother result and set aside.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To cook the lamb, heat the oil in an ovenproof pan to a high temperature, season the lamb generously all over and put fat-side down and colour. Turn it over and roast in the oven for 15-20 mins depending on how you like it cooked. Remove and rest it somewhere warm.
To cook the kidneys, heat a frying pan with the butter until gently foaming. Add the seasoned kidneys and allow to colour for 2-3 mins on one side without shaking the pan. Flip them over and continue cooking for another min or so. Remove, tip them into a sieve and allow to rest over a bowl to allow any pink juices to drain. Keep the kidneys somewhere warm and discard the pink juices.
For the broad beans, make a vinaigrette with the white wine vinegar and olive oil, adding the garlic and the parsley. Stir together, add to the broad beans, then tip in any meat juices from the lamb.
To serve, spoon some of the shallot purée onto a plate, slice the lamb quite thickly and arrange on top, then place 2 kidney halves on top of the lamb. Spoon around some of the broad bean vinaigrette and serve.