Foraging for signs of green shoots of Spring

THE changing of the seasons brings some new and special ingredients into the kitchen, but the intensely green shoots of wild garlic appearing in the woods and hedgerows are the true harbingers of Spring for chefs.

We will still get excited about new season asparagus, the first proper English strawberries, grouse in August, autumn mushrooms, even winter cabbage, but none offers the same promise of delights yet to come as those little verdant shoots.

The early leaves have a distinctive but relatively mild flavour, while later in the season when the flowers begin to appear, the leaves will become more bitter and it is only the flowers which should then be eaten.

At this time of year, however, there could easily be a tendency to try to get them into everything as they suit soups, pasta dishes, risottos and combine well with eggs, potatoes and breads.

However, these recipes were among my favourites.

The first combines wild garlic with egg, (another symbol of beginnings if we are coming over all poetic), while the second adds flavour and more colour to a rosy beetroot risotto.

So get out, get picking your “free” foraged produce.

My recipe could be meal in itself, including a very robust breakfast or brunch. It is still light, but formidable.

Pan-roast breast of loose birds duck with its own scrambled egg, wild garlic and morel mushrooms, sherry gravy (serves four)

Ingredients

4 duck breasts
4 duck eggs
100ml whipping cream
100g butter for the egg and for frying
50g morel mushrooms
100g wild garlic leaves, finely chopped
Seasoning
20ml sweet sherry
200ml veal stock

Method

Heat a frying pan, season the duck breasts with salt and pepper, and place into the pan, skin side down.

Dry-fry until the skin is crisp, then turn over and cook for approximately four to five minutes until pink. Lift out of the pan and leave to rest.

To make the gravy, first reduce the veal stock by half, then add the sherry and allow to reduce to the required consistency.

Next, fry the mushrooms in melted butter until soft, season and add the wild garlic leaves. Fry until the garlic begins to wilt, then remove from the heat.

For the scrambled egg, break the eggs into a bowl, add seasoning, a little cream and butter, and whisk. Warm a pan and heat the mixture, stirring constantly until the mix comes together.

Slice the duck and place on a warmed plate, place the scrambled egg into an egg cup or alongside, if you so desire, sprinkle the fried wild garlic mushrooms over the duck and finish off by pouring over the sauce. Serve immediately.

THE deep burgundy colour of the beetroot makes this a very impressive dish, while the wild garlic pesto adds a country feel – and it’s vegetarian.

Risotto of Felixkirk organic beetroot with a deep-fried blue Wensleydale beignet, wild garlic pesto (serves four)

Risotto ingredients

425g beetroot, thoroughly washed
250ml good, full-bodied fruity wine, such as a Shiraz or alternatively a splash of Cassis
50g blue Wensleydale cheese, finely-grated
50ml whipping cream
50g shredded baby spinach
315g par-cooked Arborio risotto rice (sweated with onion and garlic)
Seasoning

Beignet ingredients

100g blue Wensleydale cheese
5g finely diced shallots, sweated off
1 pinch finely chopped sage

Wild garlic pesto ingredients

25g pine nuts, toasted
150ml virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
200g wild garlic leaves
Salt and pepper
50g parmesan, grated

Method

Boil the beetroot in a deep pan using 200ml of the red wine and cover if required with water to top up the pan, so the roots are submerged (approximately 15 to 20 minutes), until tender, then peel and purée. To make the pesto, liquidise all of the ingredients together, then check seasoning.

Put in an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use. It can be stored for approximately one week.

To make the beignet, blend together and form into 3cm balls, then chill for 20 minutes, egg wash and breadcrumb. Set aside ready for use Put the par-cooked risotto into a thick-bottomed pan, add the beetroot purée, a splash of cream, the cheese and a little red wine.

Bind together and simmer for four to five minutes, season, add the chopped spinach and taste.

The mixture now needs to be quite “stiff” so it holds itself in a pastry cutter, which acts as a mould.

Spoon the risotto into the cutter on a warmed plate.

Deep-fry the beignet for 20 seconds or until golden brown, immediately drain on kitchen towel and place on top of the risotto.

Garnish with herbs and drizzle the wild garlic pesto around the base of the risotto, remove the cutter and serve immediately.