Peel the asparagus, break them at their angular break (about 3cm up from the base)

and keep the peelings and stem.

Cut the tips off the asparagus and blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling salted water.

They garnish the soup nicely; truth be told I can’t come to blend asparagus tips! 

Add the potato, leeks and onion to a pan with the butter and the salt. Turn on a low temp and cook slowly until they form an emulsion.

Now add the remainder of the asparagus (not the peelings) and bring to a simmer.

Add the water and clotted cream.

Simmer for 5 minutes and taste – adjust if necessary.

Now remove from the heat and add the peelings and garlic leaf; leave for five minutes before blending for a long time until smooth.

(Little tip – we now add about 100ml olive oil which will make the soup velvety and silky; it doesn’t improve flavor so not always necessary) 

Pass the soup through a fine sieve; this will improve the texture and eating quality. Chill the soup. Do this regardless of whether you will serve it hot or cold as chilling retains the colour and freshness.

For the poached eggs – boil a tall pan of unsalted water (salt will break the collagen) and add white vinegar to the pan and swirl with a whisk.

Break your eggs into a small bowl so that they can be poured into the water slowly. The eggs should poach for three minutes and be lifted with a slotted spoon and trimmed before serving in the soup.