Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me: A chef’s stories and recipes from the land. Denis Cotter
are soft. Once they are done, squeeze the flesh from the skins.
Put the blood orange juice in a small pan and heat gently until reduced by half Leave to cool for a few minutes.
For the aïoli, put the roasted garlic, egg yolks, egg and dill in a food processor and blend for 1 minute. With the motor still running, pour in the olive oil very slowly until the aïoli is very thick. Gradually add in the blood orange juice until you are satisfied with the colour and flavour and you have a dipping consistency. Season with a little salt and pepper. Taste the aïoli and add a little lemon juice if you wish.
Turn the oven up to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard. Lay the asparagus on an oven tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven until just tender and lightly browned, but still crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately with the blood orange aïoli as a dip.
| Serves 4 as a starter or side dish |
|---|
| 500g (18oz) fat asparagus spears |
| olive oil |
| FOR THE BLOOD ORANGE AïOLI |
|---|
| 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled |
| 200–300ml (7–10fl oz) olive oil |
| juice of 2 blood oranges |
| 2 egg yolks |
| 1 egg |
| 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill |
| salt and pepper |
| juice of 1/2 lemon (optional) |
Sprouting Broccoli with Leek and Shallot Farrotto
‘Farro’ is the common name in Italy for a very old wheat variety. It is sometimes translated as ‘spelt’, though some references suggest it is not the same grain but a similar and equally ancient variety. It is often sold in a semi-pearled state, which means that most of the husk has been polished off. This makes it very useful for making a rustic but strongly flavoured risotto-style dish, hence the name ‘farrotto’. It needs long, slow cooking, longer than the 20 minutes the pack might say, to get a rich, creamy finish. I like to make it with a lot of onion, both for flavour and texture.
The intense flavour of sprouting greens makes a great match for farrotto, as indeed do mushrooms. The recipe calls for a hard sheep’s cheese, and I generally use Cratloe Hills, from County Clare, whenever I need that tangy sweetness. Italian Pecorino or Spanish Manchego would be good too.
Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan then turn down the heat and keep at a low simmer.
| Serves 4 |
|---|
| 3 tbsp olive oil |
| 500g (18oz) purple sprouting broccoli |
| 1 medium red onion,halved and thinly sliced |
| 1 fresh hot red chilli, halved and sliced,seeds included |
| 4 tomatoes, halved and sliced |
| salt and pepper |
| FOR THE FARROTTO |
|---|
| 1.5 litres (2 3/4 pints) vegetable stock |
| 3 tbsp olive oil |
| 250g (9oz) leeks, washed and thinly sliced |
| 250g (9oz) shallots, thinly sliced |
| 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme |
| 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves |
| 200g(7oz)farro |
| 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) white wine |
| 100g (3 1/2oz) butter |
| 85g (3oz) hard sheep’s cheese, freshly grated |
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the leeks, shallots and garlic for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the herb leaves and the farro, and cook again for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to toast the grains. Add the wine, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 5 minutes until it has been absorbed. Pour in a ladle or two of hot stock and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has been absorbed. Carry on adding stock in this way until the grains are soft and chewy. This may take 40-50 minutes.
As the farrotto nears the end of its cooking time, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan and cook the sprouting broccoli, red onion and chilli for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil, and cook for 2 minutes more. Then add a few tablespoons of stock and some salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
When you are happy with the texture of the farrotto and all the stock has been absorbed, stir in the butter, cheese and some salt and pepper. Serve the sprouting broccoli with the farrotto, pouring the juices from the pan over each portion.
Sesame and Ginger Chinese Broccoli on an Oyster Mushroom Omelette
Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1.
Fry the mushrooms and garlic in a little oil for a minute or two, then stir in the coriander and a pinch of salt. Set this aside.
Heat a little oil in a wide shallow pan, and put in the Chinese broccoli, ginger, soy sauce, stock or water and the sesame oil. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
At the same time, heat an omelette pan over a high heat, and brush it with oil. Lightly beat the eggs with the water and season with salt and pepper. Pour half into the pan, leave it for a few seconds until the edges begin to solidify, then lift the cooking edges and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Scatter half of the cooked mushrooms over one half of the omelette, fold the uncovered side over and slide the omelette on to a plate. Keep this warm in a low oven while you repeat the process with the remaining eggs and mushrooms.
Cut each omelette in half to make four portions. Use tongs to place some Chinese broccoli on each, then spoon the juices over the top.
| Serves 4 |
|---|
| 150g (5 1/2oz) oyster mushrooms, shredded |
| 2 garlic cloves, sliced |
| olive or vegetable oil |
| 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander |
| salt and pepper |
| 400g(14oz) Chinese broccoli |
| 1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger |
| 1 tbsp soy sauce |
| 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) vegetable stock or water |
| 1 tsp toasted sesame oil |
| FOR THE OMELETTES |
|---|
| olive oil |
| 8 eggs |
| 4 dsp water |
Black Kale with Sweet Peppers, Olives and Smoked Cheese Polenta