Why is wild garlic so fun? It’s free, sure (at least, it should be), but it’s also symbolic; finally, hope manifests itself, rinsing away winter's stagnant breath. Wild garlic brings its own pungency, of course, and it needs to be blanched before use. To ensure it’s free of any (*cough*) contamination, yes, but also because it’s too astringent - too ‘green’ and freshly mowed in flavour when used as is. I’ll assume you’ll be set to complete the required pesto/pasta combos just fine without my advice, but at some point, it’s fun to experiment a little. And if you’re looking for something lighthearted and brunchy, may I suggest this A1 rösti. I like waxy potatoes for rösti as they give a sturdier result yet yield plenty of scrackly-crisp, unhinged edges. The grated halloumi caramelises on the outside and brings its salty intensity to the centre. Is wild garlic a bold choice for brunch? Meh, it’s basically lunchtime anyway. Brunch is a silly little name for a meal. I love to top these with eggs fried with a few of the leftover wild garlic leaves, but of course, wobbly poachers or fudgy boiled eggs would work well. Spin it in a fresher direction by serving them on yoghurt, or slip them into a fry-up situation with mushrooms, bacon and so on.
You want more ideas for using wild garlic? OK, here goes:
Wild Garlic and Halloumi Rösti Generous handful of wild garlic leaves, plus a few for the eggs Preheat the oven to 100°C. Bring a pan of water to a boil and blanch the wild garlic for 30 seconds, then drain. Cool under running water. Squeeze out as much water as you can, then finely chop. Place the grated potato and onion into a brand new jay cloth or clean tea towel or other cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Combine the wild garlic, potato and onion with the grated halloumi. Add the flour, some pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix well. Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan and add ¼ of the rösti mix, flattening it down. I do this with my hands to get it nice and even with slightly thinner edges, which get nicely crisp. Keep it nice and thin to ensure it cooks in the middle. Cook for 5-6 minutes, carefully turn over and cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining rösti. You could use two frying pans to speed things up here. Fry the eggs to your liking, wilting in the wild garlic leaves towards the end of cooking. Serve on top of the rösti.
SUPERSIZE ME! This week, a plate of gnudi - the world’s most luxurious and deceptively easy-to-make dumpling. With wild garlic, of course! Oh, and a lemon and poppy seed brown butter. Hiya. Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Flavour nugget #22: Wild garlic (ramp) and halloumi rösti
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