Alastair Hendy's Summer Pickles with Potted Trout

1. For the pickles: trim 250g fat asparagus and peel the lower stems. Blanch for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, retaining some bite. Drain, plunge into cold water, then drain again. Halve 1 small or ridge cucumber round the middle then quarter it lengthways. Peel 4 cloves garlic and halve them lengthways. Whisk 2 tbsp caster sugar into 300ml white wine vinegar until dissolved. Pack the asparagus into a suitable jar with the garlic, cucumber and 5 sprigs dill or fennel tops. Pour over the sweetened vinegar and secure with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
2. For the potted trout: flake 250g smoked trout fillet into a bowl, add 100g softened butter, 1 tsp each ground nutmeg and ground mace, the juice of 1 lemon and some salt and black pepper, then beat with a fork to make a coarse paste. Pack into a pot (about 400ml). Melt another 100g butter and pour over the potted trout, leaving the milk solids in the pan. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until needed. Serve the potted trout with the pickled vegetables, and, if you like, crisp lettuce and good bread alongside.