Abundance of Wild Garlic in the West Country
Making the Most of Wild Garlic
It’s a record-breaking year for wild garlic. At least, it is in parts of the Westcountry where there’s are swathes of the stuff. I make the geographic point because I was in rural Hertfordshire the other day and there was none to be seen. Not a leaf. No wonder London based chefs and cookery writers are always saying things like: “If you can find wild garlic, grab it - otherwise buy it from a specialist shop or stall.”
The very best way of utilising this free and delicious vegetable is to make an English form of pesto. Which prompts me to ask how it was that a herb-rich nation like ours could have failed to come up with a kind of sauce made from the act of grinding aromatic leaves in some kind of emulsifying agent? We have mint sauce, yes, but we don’t really have other intensely flavoured delights made from our delicious edible plants.
The Global Popularity of Pesto: A British Twist
Pesto is now apparently the third most commonly used sauce in the world after ketchup and mayonnaise - not that the industrially made stuff even begins to compare with homemade. And you can make a British version of a pesto by using wild garlic, cold pressed rapeseed oil, a very mature cheese such as cheddar and some hazel nuts.
The Importance of Identifying Wild Garlic Correctly
It does come with a health warning: every year in this country there are cases where people have been poisoned after picking and eating the similar looking leaves - so only harvest wild garlic if you know what you’re doing.
Versatile Wild Garlic Pesto: Enhance Your Dishes
A spoonful of wild garlic pesto thrown into fresh cooked pasta creates an instant and delicious lunch - you can also use it as a side sauce for meats or fish or as a marinade. Stir a little into a spring vegetable risotto and you will have a vegetarian dish worthy of an award winning restaurant. But if you can’t be bothered to make pesto, here’s a basic risotto recipe for this most wondrous of wild herbs…
Wild Garlic Risotto
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
300g Arborio rice
1litre vegetable or chicken stock
120ml dry white wine (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
100g wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped
100g freshly grated parmesan or very old cheddar cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon zest, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the vegetable or chicken stock over low heat. Keep it at a gentle simmer throughout the cooking process.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the Arborio rice, coating each grain with oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the rice grains become slightly translucent around the edges.
If using, pour in the dry white wine and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed.
Begin adding the warmed stock to the rice, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked al dente and has a creamy consistency.
Stir in the roughly chopped wild garlic leaves and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted and tender.
Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the grated cheese and unsalted butter. Mix well to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let the risotto rest for a couple of minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Serve hot, garnished with lemon zest if desired.
