Lorraine Pascale cooks asparagus with cream parmesan cheese puff tarts, poached eggs and basil for a delicious Starter on How To Be A Better Cook.

Lorraine says: “A simple method for perfect poached egg is to have just a little water barely bubbling in a sauté pan then simply slide in the eggs and leave them to cook for a short while. The stiller water and the gentleness of adding them to the pan means that the eggs stay intact giving you an egg with a perfect poach.”

The ingredients for the tarts are: plain flour, for dusting, 500g puff pastry, 200g low-fat cream cheese, ¼ lemon, finely grated zest only, flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 30 medium asparagus spears and 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze (alternatively use a little milk).

For the topping: 6 medium free-range eggs, 25g parmesan, made into shavings with a potato peeler, good handful small basil leaves, drizzle extra virgin olive oil (optional).