Asparagus with shallots, white wine and Selles-sur-Cher sauce

Selles-Sur-Cher is a dry French goat's cheese packed with flavour, so it stands out in just about any white sauce very well. The asparagus is perfectly complemented by this robust sauce. This is a perfect starter for any occasion. A little tip is to drizzle the asparagus with the sauce and then give it a little grilling to get a lovely finish.

• Preparation: 10 mins
• Cooking: 15 mins
• Serves: 4

What you need:

• 150g Selles-Sur-Cher, rind removed
• 2 bunches asparagus, try to buy in season
• 2 shallots
• 25g butter
• 125mls white wine, oaky is better like a Chardonnay
• 250mls double cream
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Finely chop the shallots. Place into a small saucepan on a low heat with the 25g of butter and sweat until soft and translucent. Add the white wine and allow to simmer and reduce by one third.
2. Once reduced, add in the double cream and reduce again by half with the lemon juice.
3. At this stage, season with black pepper, add in the mustard and crumble in the goat's cheese.
4. Mix well until all the cheese has melted. You may need to use a whisk to do this.
5. Set the sauce to one side while you cook the asparagus. Place a large pan of water on the stove and bring to the boil.
6. Gently peel the asparagus and when the water is boiling, drop them in for 3 minutes.
7. Drain and coat in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Assemble the asparagus on your serving plates.
8. Warm through the sauce and drizzle over the top. Serve extra sauce on the side.

Cook's tip:

Selles-sur-Cher is available in good supermarket deli counters and specialist cheese shops.

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