Fritaja con Asparagi Selvatici di Primavera Triestina

Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Trieste and Carso), northeastern Italy

Trieste's spring frittata using wild asparagus (asparagi selvatici) harvested from the Karst plateau above the city — much thinner, more bitter and more intensely flavoured than cultivated asparagus. The wild asparagus are briefly blanched (60 seconds only) in salted water, drained and cut into 2 cm lengths. Six eggs are beaten with salt, a pinch of ground white pepper and a tablespoon of whole milk. The asparagus is tossed in hot butter in an oven-safe frying pan until coated and fragrant, then the egg mixture is poured over. The pan is transferred to a preheated oven at 180°C after 90 seconds on the hob and baked for 8–10 minutes until just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Served warm or at room temperature, slid directly from the pan onto a serving plate.

Intensely flavoured wild asparagus with bitter-herbal notes against sweet, buttery egg; the slight wobble in the set centre provides a silky, almost custardy interior; white pepper adds a clean aromatic finish.