Griddled Asparagus with Duck Egg

As with any asparagus dish, this is only worth doing with English asparagus, in season from the end of April to the start of June. The natural sugars turn to starch within moments of being cut. Get them as fresh as you can, with pert stalks, tight tips and a base that isn’t too woody. Try to buy direct from the source. Even better, pick your own. I once heard of a man so obsessed with eating asparagus fresh that he camped out beside his crown of asparagus the night before he was due to harv