April marks the start of the season of one of my favourite vegetables – asparagus. Its young shoots have a wonderful, delicate flavour.

Asparagus is low in calories, contains no fat or cholesterol and is low in sodium. It is also a good source of folic acid, potassium and fibre and is rich in amino acid. Asparagus also has medicinal properties, being a diuretic. It is considered an aphrodisiac too.

The first asparagus of the season is the best, and the asparagus you’ll find in the shops at the moment comes from France; Irish asparagus won’t be available until late May.

Growing asparagus in your own garden is possible, but it’s quite tricky and it takes a few seasons to get it right. There are a few different types of the vegetable available. White asparagus has a different flavour and texture to green asparagus and is grown in the dark – hence its white colour. Both types are used in this recipe.

I devised this dish to marry together flavours that work with asparagus. It is a big hit at Thornton’s at this time of year.

Warm white asparagus with truffle hollandaise served with green asparagus bavarois, serves four

Bavarois
1 and half litres of fresh cream
2 bunches roughly-chopped green asparagus
60ml of water
20ml of olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh milled white pepper
1 and a half gelatine leaves

Bring the roughly-chopped green asparagus to the boil in lightly salted water. When the water has evaporated the asparagus should be cooked. Remove and puree in a blender, then pass through a fine sieve.

In a separate pot bring cream to the boil and reduce by 3/4 and remove from the heat.

Soak gelatine leaves in cold water until soft, then remove and squeeze out the liquid. Add to the cream. When dissolved pass mixture through a sieve. Pour the reduced cream into the asparagus puree. Refrigerate for about two hours until set.

Truffle hollandaise
Three egg yolks
50ml of truffle reduction
300g of clarified butter
2g sea salt
Freshly milled white pepper
20ml of boiling water
20g diced black truffle

Make truffle reduction by placing the following ingredients in a pot: 20ml truffle juice, 10ml truffle vinegar, 20ml white wine vinegar and one diced shallot. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and reduce by half.

Put the egg yolks and truffle reduction into a stainless steel bowl and place bowl over a pot of boiling water. Whisk until the mixture holds a figure eight pattern. Add the chopped truffle and slowly add the clarified butter, whisking all the time. Add a little warm water if you find that the hollandaise is getting too thick. Taste and correct the seasoning.

Truffle vinaigrette
20g diced black truffle
100ml of truffle vinegar
200ml of truffle oil
200ml of olive oil
50ml of truffle juice
20ml of water
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt
Fresh milled white pepper

Place the diced truffle in a stainless steel bowl and whisk in the truffle vinegar, olive oil and truffle oil. Add the lemon juice and spring water, season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

Asparagus

20 white asparagus shoots
2 litres of water
10g of sea salt
8 chive strands
4 slices of black truffle

Wash and peel the asparagus and remove the ends.

Bring the water to the boil, add the salt and blanche the asparagus for four minutes. Remove and refresh in cold water.

Blanche the chives for a couple of seconds in the boiling salted water, remove and refresh in cold water. Wrap five pieces of asparagus together to make a portion, tying them with a chive strand.

Return to the water and cook for two to three minutes. Remove and season. Spoon truffle vinaigrette over asparagus. Arrange all the ingredients on a plate and serve.

Kevin Thornton is a Michelin-starred chef and owner of Thornton’s Restaurant on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. www.thorntonsrestaurant.com