Jersey Royals with Quail's Eggs & Asparagus

Jersey Royals with Quail's Eggs & Asparagus

Having been born in Guernsey and lived on the very point of the island, I'm au fait with a salty sea breeze. In fact, where I spent my formative years would have been ideal growing ground for the famous Jersey Royal. You see, it's the saltiness in the air and soil, as well as the seaweed hauled up from the beaches below for use as a fertilizer, that make the Jersey Royal so special.

Sadly though, these days the king of new potatoes is mistreated by corporations, who are more interested in profit than taste. Most Jersey Royals are sold suffocated in plastic bags with their fine soil mercilessly washed away. This treatment does nothing to enhance their texture. If you can find them in retailers sold in paper bags, do hoover them up with relish.

Ingredients

Spring · Serves 4

  • 300g (10½oz)

    Jersey Royal potatoes, scrubbed and any larger ones halved

  • a knob of grass-fed butter

  • 6

    quail's eggs

  • 1 bunch

    asparagus, woody ends trimmed

  • 6 slices

    air-dried ham

  • a few sprigs

    fresh dill, roughly chopped

  • flaky sea salt

  • For the dressing

    3 tbsp

    mayonnaise

  • 3 tbsp

    organic natural yogurt

  • a small bunch

    dill, roughly chopped

  • 2 tbsp

    lemon juice, plus extra to finish

  • flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buy available ingredients
Recipe image

Method

Fill a medium saucepan with cold water, add a pinch of salt and set over a high heat.

Add the potatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until tender. Once cooked, drain the potatoes into a colander and leave them to steam while you prepare the dressing.

To make the dressing, add the mayonnaise, yogurt, dill, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary. You want this dressing to be quite salty and sharp, as it will season all the other ingredients.

Tip the cooked potatoes into the dressing bowl and stir through, allowing each potato to become generously coated. Set to one side.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

Fill a small saucepan with boiling water and place over a medium–high heat. Carefully lower in the quail's eggs. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove and immediately plunge into cold water. Allow to cool and then peel and slice each egg in half.

Take a frying pan and set over a medium heat. Add a knob of butter and allow it to sizzle, then throw in the asparagus along with a pinch of salt. Allow the spears to caramelise for around 4 minutes, ensuring they retain some bite and have a nice colour.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Spread out the air-dried ham and place in the oven. After exactly 2 minutes, check the ham is beautifully crisp; if it needs a little longer, carefully watch it, as it doesn't take long for it to catch and go too far. Once crispy and golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To assemble the dish, tip the dressed potatoes onto a large platter. Scatter over the asparagus spears, quail's eggs, crispy ham and dill. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, and serve immediately.
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