As Spring begins to arrive, wild garlic appears all along the wooded banks and paths close to the John Julian workshop. There is something immensely satisfying about foraging for it, especially as it often grows in the most picturesque of places. Cooking with this ephemeral plant can seem like you are capturing the essence of a season. Wild garlic, or 'ransoms', has all but disappeared by June so now is the time to plan a Springtime woodland walk.
To make wild garlic last longer you can pound it in a pestle and mortar with some olive oil and freeze in ice cube trays to be added to dishes at a later date. Wild garlic butter is a great way to include it in cooking – rub it under the skin of your Sunday roast chicken, add a generous dollop to risotto or spread some on a slice of toasted ciabatta.
Wild garlic butter is incredibly simple to make. You can whip up a batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.
Wild Garlic Butter
150g butter (softened)
1 handful of wild garlic leaves (about 25g)
Sea Salt
Lemon Zest
Wash and dry the wild garlic leaves and then finely chop. Use your pestle and mortar to pound the butter with some sea salt and lemon zest. The amount always comes down to personal preference so it is best to taste it as you go and keep adding more salt and lemon zest to get the desired taste. Add in the wild garlic and stir.
You can keep in the fridge or use clingfilm or baking parchment to roll it into a tight log, twisting at the ends, and freeze for up to a month. If you choose to freeze it simply slice off the amount you need each time you want to use it.
Pictured above: Porcelain Flat Mortar with Spear Pestle - Large
Mixing Bowl (Pouring), Medium, 25cm
Served here in the Classical Porcelain Pinch Pots 7.5cm and 10cm.