There is a temptation to think of asparagus as the cotton-wool kid of the vegetable patch, but it responds just as well to a slightly tougher treatment. Those silky butter-kissed sauces are all fine, and we enjoy a well-executed hollandaise as much as anyone. Sprightly flavours of ginger, chilli and mustard make asparagus sing too, especially with orange, lemon or lime. Such recipes lift the spears’ spirits rather than sending them to sleep under a blanket of butter and egg.