Officially Out-Pestoed

I'm so pleased when someone actually tries one of my recipes, and then slightly put-out when they do it soo much better than me.

After the wild garlic pesto post, I received this photo from my friend and wild garlic fan, Emily. Emily makes the best lime and mascarpone ice cream this side of the caribbean, so I should have known her attempts at pesto would make mine look utilitarian. This is the sort of pesto jar you would sell/give/receive with pride, and a warm glow of joy.

I made a double batch of said utilitarian pesto last night (5 whole smallish jars, 300g cashews) and have a few extra tips on dealing with larger quantities. 

Fill the sink with cold water and swish the leaves around in that to wash them, before transferring in small amounts to a colander, checking for stray flower buds and beasties along the way. Lay the washed leaves out on a clean tea towel, and roll it up to dry them a bit before processing. Don't overfill the processor as the bottom leaves turn to mush and the top ones don't move. The introduction of the cashews helps to break the leaves down, but the oil really gets things going. I take the drizzle nozzle off the oil and glug it in. There's not enough time for drizzling before it's over mushed, and we're not making mayonnaise.

Wild Garlic - The Pesto Rub

Roast butterflied leg of lamb with wild garlic, served with boulangere potatoes. This recipe is courtesy of husband Mark, and I personally feel it is worthy of the Waitrose app., being both easy and delicious. Move aside Heston, you have a bald rival!

Mark used a Waitrose pre-butterflied leg of lamb which was part of the 3 for £10 range. I think it weighed around 400g. On that note, have you tried the Boston Butt? Please do. I think a post about that will have to follow.

Turn the oven up to gas mark 4, then prepare the potatoes. Mark can't remember how many he used, but you want enough for four (two with leftovers, as they're even better the next day.) They need to be peeled and thinly sliced. Do the same with two shallots. Smear a small roasting tin with butter, and cover the bottom with a layer of potato slices. Add a layer of shallots and season. Repeat until all veg are used and the tin is at least half full. Pour over approx. one pint of hot vegetable stock (the veg need to be covered.) Cook in the preheated oven for one hour before you add the meat. The potatoes need to absorb most of the liquid and they take a while to break down at this temperature. 

In a bowl mix 3-4 tablespoons of your home made wild garlic pesto with 3 biggish sprigs of finely chopped fresh rosemary, Maldon salt, black pepper and a dash of olive oil. It needs to be paste-like. Mark used a pestle and mortar which was unnecessary.

Smear the top and sides of your lamb with the paste and leave it to marinade at room temperature while the potatoes get their first hour in the oven. Set the meat on a roasting rack and position the rack on top of the potato tin. That way, any juices will spill onto the tatties. Roast in the oven for one hour.

We served the meat by cutting it down the middle and dividing it between two plates. You could do some fancy slicing I suppose. 
This somehow looks like the most British dinner you could eat! A variation/addition could be adding breadcrumbs to the paste. Then you could call it a herb crust, which sounds very posh.

Wild Garlic Pesto

A lot of research has been carried out by me this last week, to establish the best nut to go with wild garlic in a pesto. Pasta and pesto have been consumed every night for this important research, and I am happy to say the votes are in (mine and Mark's.) The best nut for wild garlic pesto is the cashew. Not a roasted and salted one of course, although there could be some application for that, but unadulterated raw ones. And, if you happen to know a shop where you can buy them cheaper broken, all the better.

To make the pesto, first of all wash a couple of jam jars and pop them in a low oven to sterilise. Then put a load of washed wild garlic leaves into the Magimix (or equivalent.) Pulse them briefly (2 secs. max.) so they're not taking up all the room. Throw in a couple of handfuls of cashew nuts, a good pinch of Maldon salt and a grind of black pepper. With the top funnel removed, turn on the motor and pour in some extra virgin olive oil. Don't whizz the mixture for too long as the garlic breaks down very quickly. You still want a bit of bite. 

This is really good stirred into al dente pasta and garden peas. Not forgetting a generous grating of parmesan, and an extra splash of olive oil.

Wild Garlic - Get It While You Can

Every year I get in a tizz about wild garlic. I'm never sure which plant it is and when it should be picked, and which is the best bit, etc. I'm so scared I'll get it wrong, in case I end up eating the leaf equivalent of the Death Cap mushroom, I leave the whole business too late. This year I was determined to bring home the bacon. 

Because spring has sprung so late this year, my indecision period is shorter than ever, but I think that's helped. What I hadn't worked out in previous years, is that wild garlic changes when it flowers. Before the flowers it has broad dark green leaves. What seems to happen when it flowers, is that the dark green leaves die back and the lighter narrower leaf that the flower's been growing in separates from the flower and becomes a leaf. This is my understanding of proceedings, but would be grateful for any clarification. Here are my evidential pics. 

What I have read is to pick the garlic before it flowers. And what I've discovered is, to use the leaves on the day of picking. More of that to follow.

Dark leaves before the flowers

Starting to Flower

 Fully Flowered