Mid-April means abundant asparagus in Europe. With the season being so short, it seems a shame to give the vegetable anything but the starring role in any dish it that it appears in. <br/><br/>With that in mind, salty dairy products are the ideal partner for this sweet, slightly sulphurous vegetable; think classic hollandaise, steamed spears served with melted butter and good quality sea salt or a poached egg with a drizzle of truffle oil and a few roasted mushrooms.<br/><br/> Samele Crestale, the brand chef at Carluccio's in Dubai, follows a similar vein of thought with his asparagi alla grigli or chargrilled asparagus with aged balsamic and Parmesan shavings- recipe below. Asparagi alla grigli Serves 4 Ingredients: 800g asparagus/ 6 - 7 spears per person 80ml extra virgin olive oil 80g Parmesan shavings 4 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar, the thicker and sweeter the better 8g Maldon sea salt 8gm black pepper Cut 2cm off the bottom of the asparagus and peel the bottom 4cm. Lightly coat the asparagus with oil. Place on a hot grill or BBQ and grill until marked and hot. Divide the grilled asparagus between four plates. Season each plate with Maldon sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and the aged balsamic vinegar. Top with the Parmesan shavings.