These asparagus are imbued with a hint of caramelly smokiness. The salt hit from crisp prosciutto is wiped clean by lemon and mint, making them irresistible. Get these rolled a few hours before you need to cook them – keep them wrapped and refrigerated but bring to room temperature before cooking.
Accompany with lemon wedges or a spicy dipping sauce.
12 plump spears of asparagus
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g thinly sliced prosciutto or equivalent amount of shaved ham
48 mint leaves
Lemon wedges to accompany or a spicy dipping sauce of your choice
1 Snap off the woody ends from the asparagus spears or trim them with a knife. Wash asparagus under running water; soak if gritty.
2 In a large shallow dish mix together lemon zest and oil with a few pinches of salt and plenty of black pepper. Add spears and roll them around in the dish to coat.
3 Wrap each spear in a slice of prosciutto or ham, enclosing four mint leaves with each spear.
4 Cook asparagus wraps over a medium heat on an oiled barbecue hot plate, turning often, until they turn a rich golden brown (about 10 minutes). Serve hot.
