Taste of spring
WILD garlic began popping up on schedules around late February, bringing a welcome breath of spring time as the elongated teardrop-shaped leaves appeared. Walking in wooded areas, keep your nose on the air and eyes to the ground to spot these oceans of leaves, sprouting in clumps like a fragrant meadow. Scrunch up a leaf in your hand and inhale a whiff of unmistakeable garlic.
March’s snow interrupted everything, as the early shoots waited to burst into thick garlicky glades. Taking a carrier bag on a stroll has become, once more, a pleasant necessity, to gather up handfuls of wild garlic leaves. You might see it in farmers’ markets, but finding it for yourself is straightforward and free too, so why pay for it?
Once in the kitchen, wash leaves thoroughly, then the options begin. Blanching them first in boiling salted water for one minute before blitzing them gives a verdant, bright puree, ideal for adding to soup or sauces. Shredding leaves into a risotto or into saute potatoes is a simple introduction, instantly giving a heady punch. The early, small leaves are tender enough to wilt like spinach or use for pesto. Once the pretty white flowers start appearing, the season is ending: don’t be fooled – these are more pungent than the leaves, giving an almost burning sensation. I have found that picking individual petals into a salad or bread dough brings the flavour to pleasantly pongy, manageable levels. CLAMS WITH WILD GARLIC, CRÈME FRAICHE AND VERMOUTH Recipes serve four You can substitute mussels for clams if you prefer, or cook both, separately, combining once cooked 2kg very fresh clams in the shell 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced in rounds Generous bushy sprig of thyme Half a small Spanish onion, finely sliced 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar 150ml Noilly Prat or vermouth of your choice 100ml white wine 150ml vegetable stock 100g watercress 100g wild garlic leaves shredded into 1/2cm strips A rounded dessertspoon of chopped parsley 2-3 rounded dessertspoons of crème fraiche to finish Method 1 Put the clams in a large tub and place in the sink. Fill with cold water and continue to slowly run the water for 10 minutes. Tip all the water out after this time and cover with fresh cold water then place in the fridge for 5-6 hours or overnight. This is essential to allow them to dispel grit and dirt from within the shells. 2 Heat a wide pan for one minute. It should be big enough to hold all the clams comfortably. Add a couple of dessertspoons of vegetable oil, the thyme and then begin to sweat the sliced Spanish onion slowly, stirring regularly to prevent browning. Season at the outset with a little salt, this will leech out some of the onion’s juices and helps prevent colouring. Once they are soft (about 10 minutes), add the spring onions and fry these for one minute. 3 Add the sherry vinegar and stir in, allowing it to boil and evaporate so it has virtually all gone. Then add the vermouth and wine and bring to the boil to reduce by half. Finally add the stock and bring this to the boil as well for a minute or so. 4 Meanwhile, lift the clams out of the water they are soaking in, into another tub, leaving the dirty water behind in the original container. Rinse the clams once more under fresh cold water and drain. Now add the clams to the sauce pan and turn up the heat, covering the pan with a lid. Keep a close eye – they will only need a few minutes to cook. Have a tray and a slotted spoon or some tongs at the ready. After one minute or so, remove the lid, taking care of the steam which will escape. Give the pan a good stir so you turn over all the clams, then start peering into the pot. Look for any clams whose shells have sprung open: as soon as you spot one which has opened, lift it out onto the waiting tray at once. Continue like this until they are all out; if they are opening faster than you can lift them out, reduce the heat under the pan. 5 Once they are all out, stir in the crème fraiche and bring to a simmer then finally throw in the wild garlic, half of the parsley and all of the watercress. Place the clams back into the pan briefly to stir and coat with the liquid then divide between four serving bowls. Scatter the rest of the chopped parsley over the top, then add the cooking liquid over the clams and serve at once with crusty bread and a salad. WILD GARLIC, CHEDDAR AND SMOKED HADDOCK OMELETTES Recipes serve four 2-3 fresh free range eggs per person, depending on size (of the eggs, rather than the people) A fillet of natural smoked haddock, about 300g Milk to cover the fish for poaching A sprig of thyme 3 cloves 6-8 black peppercorns A generous knob of unsalted butter A rounded dessertspoon of chopped chives 100g grated strong cheddar 100g wild garlic leaves, shredded finely Method 1 Poach the haddock first: ensure it has its pin bones and skin removed then slice into five roughly even-sized pieces for ease of handling. Meanwhile place the milk into a saucepan and add the cloves, peppercorns and thyme, bring this to a simmer, then remove from the heat to infuse for at least half an hour. Lift out the herbs and spices, leaving infused milk. Rewarm the milk and drop the haddock in and poach for five minutes, then remove the pan from the heat to stand for a further five minutes. Now lift the fish out on to a tray to drain and flake into large pieces with your fingers and set aside. Save the milk.
Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk briefly with a fork. Season with fresh ground black pepper then add a little of the reserved milk from the poached smoked haddock. A true omelette should not really contain milk, but in this case, it adds a wonderful extra flavour. In the ideal world of the restaurant or hotel, you can heat four individual omelette pans; in the real world at home you may have to cook four omelettes, one at a time, and keep them warm in a very low oven, preheated to its lowest setting, until all four are done. 3 To proceed: heat a non stick frying pan (or four) and add a knob of butter after one minute. It should fizz and foam up but not turn brown. Add a quarter of the egg mixture and rotate the pan so the egg mix travels all around the base of the pan, covering it entirely. Working with a rubber spatula, bring the outside edge of the egg in a little from the edge of the pan, about half or one centimetre. Now continue cooking very slowly over a gentle heat so the egg begins to set. This will take several minutes – do not rush this stage. Sprinkle in a quarter of each of the wild garlic leaves, flaked haddock and chives so you have enough for the remaining omelettes. Once the base of the omelette starts to set and is firm, you can roll it up into the traditional cigar shape so it contains all the filling. Transfer onto a heat proof tray and sprinkle on some of the cheese then place in the oven while you complete the rest of the omelettes. 4 Once all four are cooked transfer on to warmed serving dishes. This can be a hearty breakfast dish, a light lunch, perhaps followed by a cheese platter, or a light supper dish with a green salad. Geoffrey Smeddle is the chef patron of The Peat Inn, by St Andrews, Fife, KY15 5LH 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk