Wild garlic season is in full swing and I am taking every opportunity I can get to use this delicious, flavoursome herb to enhance a range of Spring recipes. Wild garlic pesto is quick and easy to make and tastes sensational with some fresh tagliatelle and a grating of Parmesan. Wild garlic leaves can be chopped over salads or soups, added to omelettes and sauces, layered with potatoes to make gratin dauphinois or used as a seasonal alternative to garlic cloves.
Makes 6 shallow (starter size) tartlets / 4 deep (main course size) tartlets
Pastry cases
- 175g plain flour
- 115g salted, cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp milk
- a couple of sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
- 30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Filling
- 75g wild garlic leaves (stalks removed)
- a knob of butter
- 250g mushrooms, sliced
- 100g ripe Camembert cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 100ml double cream
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Pesto
- 100g wild garlic leaves
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 100g roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 1 lemon
- mild olive oil or rapeseed oil
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- - For the pesto, blitz the wild garlic leaves, Parmesan and toasted hazelnuts in a food processor until finely chopped
- - With the blade still turning, slowly add the oil until the required consistency is achieved – thicker is better for this recipe (thinner is better if you were using it to make a pasta sauce, for example)
- - Add lemon juice and plenty of seasoning to taste
- - Transfer to the fridge – the flavours will intensify so it’s a good idea to make this a few hours in advance
- - For the pastry cases, place all the pastry ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the dough starts to come together
- - Knead briefly on a floured surface, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes
- - Roll out the pastry thinly on a floured surface and use it to line 6 loose-bottomed, shallow (2cm high) individual tart tins or 4 deep (3 cm high) individual tart tins, easing the pastry down into the corners to prevent shrinking
- - Chill the pastry cases in the fridge for 10 minutes
- - Preheat oven to 190C / Gas mark 5
- - Prick the bases all over with a fork and bake blind (by lining the pastry cases with greaseproof paper and filling with baking beans) for 10 minutes
- - Remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans then return the pastry cases to the oven for a further 3 minutes until the base is cooked through
- - Reduce the oven temperature to 180C / Gas mark 4
- - Melt the butter in a pan then cook the sliced mushrooms over a medium heat until softened and starting to brown. Allow to cool then strain away the cooking liquid to prevent the tartlet filling becoming too watery
- - Beat together the eggs, extra egg yolk and cream
- - Cut the Camembert into small pieces and stir into the cream mixture
- - Gather up the wild garlic leaves into a cluster and slice finely then add the shredded leaves to the cream mixture, followed by the cooked mushrooms
- - Season to taste then divide the mixture between the tart cases
- - Bake for 10-15 minutes (shallow tartlets) or 15-20 minutes (deep tartlets) until the mixture is set and the tartlets are turning golden brown on top
- - Serve warm with a spoonful of wild garlic pesto on top and garnished with a wild garlic flower
- - If making in advance, reduce the cooking time slightly, cool then chill. The tartlets can then be reheated at 130C for 10 minutes
