Wild Alliums

As some of you will know, spring heralds the return of the wild alliums; Wild Garlic, 3 Cornered Leek, Few Flowered Leek, Chives, Rosy Garlic, Crow Garlic and others. Wild Alliums, in particular, the first 3 species from the above list, receive much attention from me as they are super prolific in areas that I frequently forage. Not only are they super abundant, they are exceptionally tasty and extremely versatile, providing plenty opportunity for a raft of dishes and preserves. Annual Allium tasks that keep me busy during spring are the creating of; pesto's, flavoured oils, lacto-fermentations, protein curds, flavoured butters, pickles and flavoured salts (using smoked and dehydrated leaves). I also love creating simple and tasty dishes from the fresh leaves, unopened flower heads, open flowers and seeds, in raw form and cooked.

So far this season (April 2021), I've made and crafted; 

• 2.5kg Wild Garlic Pesto
• 1.5kg Few Flowered Leek Pesto
• 1kg Lacto-fermented Few Flowered Leek
• 750g Wild Garlic Butter
• 400g Wild Garlic Protein Curds (with a wickedly ferocious flavour profile!)

We've also been eating very well courtesy of those wild and wonderful alliums. Frequently dining on them in a multitude of dishes; 

• Allium and Potato Rostis (drools...)
• Pesto Pasta
• Wild Garlic Butter Pheasant and Chicken Kievs (home made)
• Wild Salads
• Acorn Noodle Ramen
• Baked Hake with Pesto and Acorn/Sourdough/Smoked Butter Crumb
• Wok Fried Wild Garlic with Butter Poached Smoked Fish and Toasted Pine Nuts
• Wild Garlic, Nettle and Ground Elder Soup
• Baked Oysters with Wild Garlic Pesto
• Wild Allium Spaghetti Carbonara (Jodie is the Queen of Carbonara!)
• Wild Allium Pesto Gnocchi with Spring Herbs

Wild Allium Pesto Gnocchi

There are so many instantaneous and relatively instantaneous dining potentials with these wild, green beauties of woodlands and waterways and, coupled with the fact they are super-abundant and easy to identify, it's a shame more folk don't get up close and personal with these plants. 

Apprehension regarding safe and accurate identification is a major obstacle, so here's a link to safely identifying Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum): https://edible-leeds.blogspot.com/2015/02/wild-garlic-allium-ursinum.html 

Wild Garlic Butter - To Freeze

Wild Garlic, St George's Mushroom Soy Sauce,
Brown Butter Poached Smoked Cod,
Toasted Pine Nut

 

 

Identification guides for Few Flowered and 3 Cornered Leek will be coming soon...