SERVES 4
For the asparagus flan:
asparagus 12 sticks
otatoes 100g
egg white 100g
flour 60g
ground hazelnuts 60g
melted butter 125g
salt

For the quail's eggs:
white wine vinegar a splash
quail's eggs 16

For the hazelnut sauce:
hazelnuts 50g, crushed
white wine 100ml
double cream 150ml
milk 200ml
wild flower honey 50g

To serve:
wild watercress leaves
hazelnut oil
yellow mustard flowers
Maldon sea salt

You will also need:
4 10cm x 5cm x 1.4cm friand moulds

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. To make the asparagus flan, cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until tender, place in iced water and drain. Peel and cook the potatoes in more boiling salted water until soft, drain and mash. Whisk up the egg white until stiff peaks are formed. Mix the flour, ground hazelnuts, the melted butter (100g) and mashed potatoes together and salt to taste.

Fold in the egg white. Trim the asparagus spears to 10cm long and slice in half lengthways. Spoon some of the batter into four buttered 10cm x 5cm x 1.4cm friand moulds so they are three-quarters full. Place six halves of asparagus on top, brush with melted butter (25g), season and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

To poach the eggs, fill a high-sided pan with water, bring to the boil, add a splash of vinegar and simmer. Break the eggs into a cup one by one and poach in a couple of batches for about 1 minute. Lift them out of the water with a slotted spoon and place in iced water to stop them cooking. Drain on a kitchen towel.

To make the sauce, roast the crushed hazelnuts in a dry non-stick pan and pour over the wine, cream, milk and honey. Bring to the boil, cook for a few minutes and liquidise. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

To serve, place the warm asparagus tarts in the centre of each plate. Arrange four quail's eggs on and around the tart and spoon over the hot hazelnut sauce. Dress with wild watercress leaves, hazelnut oil, yellow mustard flowers and sea salt.

Simon Rogan is head chef at L' Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria