Asparagus patties

Salt the water heavily, about a spoon of salt, and bring to a boil on high heat.

Trim the woody bottom off each spear; slice rather than snap, or cut the bottom inch off every spear.

Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water two to three minutes depending on the thickness of the spears, only to set the colour and take the raw edge off.

Transfer to very cold water and cool completely to stop the cooking.

Grate one ounce of pecorino, weighed rather than measured by volume.

Drain the cooled asparagus very well and slice into very small pieces.

Combine the asparagus with salt, black pepper and cayenne.

Mix in the grated cheese, dry bread crumbs and one beaten egg; add a second egg if the mixture will not hold together.

Portion with a scoop and flatten each patty with a fork in a little olive oil over medium heat.

Cook about four minutes a side until nicely browned and cooked through.

Plate and top with a spoon of lemon aioli and lemon zest.