Nordic smørrebrød with asparagus and horseradish cream

1. For the horseradish cream, stir the crème fraîche together with the grated horseradish, lemon juice, salt and white pepper, then chill until you're ready to serve.
2. For the crispy shallots, heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the sliced shallots and fry until golden and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt.
3. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch half the asparagus (four white and four green) until tender-crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Have a bowl of iced water ready and drop the asparagus straight in to stop the cooking. Slice the remaining asparagus thinly lengthways to serve raw.
4. Heat the grill until hot. Butter the rye bread and grill until golden and crisp.
5. To serve, set the grilled bread on plates, arrange the blanched and raw asparagus on top, spoon over the horseradish cream and scatter on the grated cheese. Finish with the crispy shallots and fresh dill.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Grill the buttered rye until properly crisp so it holds the toppings without going soggy.
• Blanch half the asparagus and shave the rest raw. The two textures together make the dish.
• Make the horseradish cream ahead so it chills down and the flavours have time to settle.
• Fry the shallots slowly to golden, then drain them well so they stay crisp.