Hazelnut flavoured mashed potatoes with Asparagus and Prosciutto di Parma

I am not a Asparagus addicted. But as the time you can get fresh Asparagus from your own country is quite limited I eat some Asparagus from time to time during "Asparagus Season". As I bought some delicious hazelnut oil during the springtime gourmet festival in my hometown I was thinking about how to use it beside the possibility to savour it simply with some fresh bread... So I was thinking about an combination with asparagus... Some fresh new potatoes, some Asparagus, some slices prosciutto di parma and here we go..

Ingredients you need (serves 2 - 3 persons)

500 g Asparagus (I used white one but I think the next time I will take some green one because I think  that it would look nicer in combination with the pale yellow from the potatoes...)

30 g Prosciutto di Parma (or more.. :) )

500 g new potatoes

2 - 3 Tbsp. Hazelnut oil

Handfull hazelnuts
some fresh thyme

1 Tbsp. butter

Salt; some kitchen foil

How to prepare:

1. Take a kitchen foil, big enough to form a sort of a package and cook in it your asparagus. I reccomend to make one package per person.. Grease the kitchen foil with some butter.

2.Prepare the Asparagus. The white one has to be peeled. Place the asparagus on your kitchen foil, add some salt, a little bit of butter and some thyme. Form a not too tight package and place in the to 200 C preheated oven for about 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of you asparagus the time may vary).

3. Place on a small oven tray the hazelnuts and roast them in the oven for about 5 minutes until their "skin" can be removed easely.

4. Chop the roasted hazelnuts coarsely and reserve.

5. Cook the potatoes and peel them beeing still hot.

6. With a fork mash the potatoes coarsely, season with salt and the hazelnut oil.

7. Place the mashed potatoes, the Asparagus and the Prosciutto on your plate. Disperse the hazelnuts over all as well as some thyme leaves and enjoy with some young white wine for example...