A native species to the UK is the wild garlic - and it’s delicious! Wild garlic is a springtime favourite in my house and - if you can get it - I’ll show you how to make it a favourite in yours.
Wild Garlic in full bloom
The first part of the fun is the thrill of the hunt. Wild garlic grows in shady areas and woodlands. It is usually very easy to spot by it’s distinctive leaves and small white flowers. It’s mid-April now and, to date, I have not found any wild garlic in bloom so it’s only the leaves that is my visual beacon. However, if it’s a warm, sunny spring afternoon, it will be another sense that sniffs out this culinary treat. Be careful as you pick this as the leaves look very similiar to lily of the valley which is poisonous. As you do pick it, you don’t need to worry about which bits are edible - they all are. The leaves are the most commonly consumed part of the plant, but the buds, flowers and bulb are all delicious.
Cooking Ideas
Wild Garlic Pesto
Serves about 4
100g Wild Garlic Leaves
3 tbl spoons Pine Nuts
1 tsp Salt
2 tbl spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbl spoon Parmesan Cheese
Blanch the wild garlic in boiling water for about 15 seconds and immediate immerse in a sink of cold/ice water. Place pine nuts in a frying pan and place over a high heat. Keep moving the pine nuts and turn occasionally until toasted to a golden brown colour. Combine all ingredients into a blender until smooth.
Wild Garlic Fish
Choose your favourite fish (I prefer a whitefish with this recipe) and rub with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle with a light coating of salt. Wrap the fish in two or three layers of the wild garlic leaves and bake at 180oC / 350oF for about 12-15 minutes (depending on how large the fish is). Garnish with wild garlic flowers.
