Asparagus with black olive crumbs

Ingredients:

4-5 bunches of asparagus, ends trimmed

foodies extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Black olives crumbs

120g (2 cups) coarse fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

125g (1 cup) pitted kalamata olives

60ml (¼ cup) foodies extra virgin olive oil

3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

Directions:

For the olive crumbs, preheat the oven to 180˚C. Spread the crumbs in a baking dish. Using your hands, squeeze the olives hard over a sink to get rid of as much liquid as possible. Chop the olives coarsely, scatter them over the crumbs in the dish, then drizzle with the oil and scatter over the lemon zest and thyme leaves. Use your hands to mix well, making sure everything is coated with oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring the crumbs occasionally, or until golden and crisp. Cool the crumbs in the dish.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Fill a large bowl with iced water. Cook the asparagus for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Drain well, transfer to the bowl of iced water to cool, then drain well again. Pat the asparagus using kitchen paper to get rid of any excess water. Place the asparagus on a large serving platter, scatter over the crumbs, then drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then serve.

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