Chicken piccata with asparagus noodles

Peel and roughly chop a few garlic cloves and one big shallot, leaving big chunks so the garlic is less likely to burn.

Trim the woody ends of the asparagus. Slice one thin noodle off each spear, roll it onto the flat side and cut three more very thin slices; turn and repeat.

Halve the lemon. Slice the chicken breast horizontally into two thin pieces and pound just the thick end so it cooks evenly with the tail.

Coat the widest pan generously with olive oil and heat on medium; have chili flake, capers, butter and water ready.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and toss in a little flour.

Lay the chicken in the hot oil, bigger piece first, sliding it at first if worried about sticking; lower the heat so the fond does not burn. Cook to 160F/70C in the thick part, about six minutes total, and rest on the board.

Add the garlic, shallots and asparagus and give them dry heat until the garlic or fond is about to burn, then deglaze with water and turn the heat to high, keeping everything moving and adding water when dry.

Add the capers, chili flake, and the lemon juice squeezed through the fingers to catch seeds.

When the asparagus looks floppy and noodly, turn off the heat, wait for the bubbling to almost stop, add a little water and stir in butter to emulsify until the sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning.

Lift the asparagus out onto the plate, leaving most of the sauce in the pan. Return the pan to the warm burner and tear in parsley until bright green.

Put the chicken, sliced if wished, on the asparagus and coat everything with sauce, adding more butter if the sauce is runny.