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 Asparagus En Papillote

En papillote is a French term indicating a dish baked 'wrapped in a parcel', a method that results in the ingredients being steamed. This keeps the food extremely moist. This simple recipe combines a tradition of French cookery with one the best English flavours.

Ingredients

To produce take a bunch of asparagus, some unsalted butter, a fresh lemon, a red chilli, sea salt and cracked black pepper.

 Method

Preheat an oven to 200° C, gas mark 6. Prepare the asparagus, remove and discarding the woody stalks. Place two 30cm square sheets of baking parchment on to a baking tray. Divide the asparagus between the two sheets, placing the spears in the middle. Deseed the chilli and slice thinly. Zest and juice the lemon. Soften the butter. Sprinkle the chilli and lemon zest over the asparagus. Pour over the lemon juice and butter. Season. Fold over the edges of the parchment, making a parcel. Pleat the top in order to seal the bags. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until tender. Serve immediately, still in the parcels. This dish works well with smoked bacon and stilton cheese in place of the chilli and lemon.