RAW AND BAKED WILD ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN CHEESE SOUP, GRAPEFRUIT COATED IN CARAMEL WITH ANISEED AND LEMON GRASS SCENT

INGREDIENTS

For the pea pod broth:
120gr. of leek cut into thin julienne strips
380gr. of fresh pea pods in sticks
20gr. of finely sliced germ free garlic
1,250ml. of water
For the pea pod and aniseed broth: 
1,000ml. of pea pod broth
4 star anises (5gr.)
For the Parmesan serum: 
250ml. of water
250gr. of Parmesano Reggiano cheese cut into pieces
For the pink grapefruit coated in caramel:
Pink grapefruit
For the lemon grass oil:  
30gr. of finely chopped lemon grass
200ml of sunflower oil
For the raw asparagus:
Wild asparagus
For the wild asparagus:
Anise shoots

PREPARATION

For the pea pod broth: 
Cook all the ingredients in a covered cooking pot for 20 min. until it starts to boil, then remove the lid and cook for another 25 min, strain and prepare.
For the pea pod and aniseed broth: 
Boil the broth with the aniseeds, leave to infuse for 10 min. and then strain.
For the Parmesan serum: 
Put both ingredients together in a small saucepan and cook them over a low heat until they dissolve; then strain and allow to cool. Once cold, skim the fat and the rest of juice off. Set the serum aside.
For the pink grapefruit coated in caramel: 
Cut the grapefruit into segments and coat both sides with caramel then cut into cubes. Do this immediately prior to serving to avoid loss of texture.
For the lemon grass oil: 
Mix the oil with the lemon grass and crush at maximum speed using the crushing machine. Leave to stand overnight and then strain.
For the raw asparagus: 
Finely slice and dress with the lemon grass oil.
For the wild asparagus: 
Cut off the thickest shoots and shape them into a nice form and leave semi-peeled. Slice the thinnest ones last of all. Brown the asparagus in kalamata oil without letting them turn coloured, season them generously on all sides to fix the colour, and dip in the uncovered pea pod and aniseed broth. Then leave to boil down, watching the cooking point. Shave and plate the dish.

TO SERVE

Separate the wild asparagus tips from the stalks, and place 6 stalks and 4 diced grapefruit segments in the bottom of the plate. Dip in the well beaten Parmesan serum until it becomes a mousse; place 6 raw asparagus slices and 3 anise shoots on top.