Wild Garlic and Green Pea Soup with Scallop, Prawn infused Tapioca, Prawn Gel, Wild Pea and Scurvy Grass
Ingredients for the Soup:2 white onions, or four shallots peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
30g butter
750ml vegetable stock
300g shelled peas
50g wild garlic
Method
1) Cook (sweat off) the chopped Onion without colour until pale and semi soft.
2) Add in the Potato, and cover with the stock. Cook until the potato becomes soft.
3) Add in the Peas; reserving some to garnish the soup at the end. Cook for a further 3-5 Mins but no more as you want to keep the bright green colour of the Peas.
4) Remove for the heat and place in a liquidiser adding the finely chopped wild garlic at this stage. Once liquidised place the soup back into a clean pan and bring back to near boiling.
5) Add in the remaining peas, and serve immediately.
Duo of local Spring Lamb - Herb Crusted Rack, Lamb Belly Roulade with Sow Thistle, Carrot Purée, Confit Celeriac, Elderberry Capers, Elderberry Gel, St George's Mushrooms, Natural Jus, Wild Garlic and Lovage Oil
Elderberry capers (Enda McEvoy):100 g unripe elderberries stems removed
35g salt
Wash the green elderberries, drain well, and place in a sterile crock or jar, add the salt
Leave for four weeks; mark the date on your calendar. Stir occasionally
Drain elderberries or buds, giving them a quick rinse and pour into sterile half pint canning jars.
Add cider vinegar until well covered, and allow the vinegar to be absorbed for around one month which will help to develop a balanced flavour. Use as desired
Elderberry Vinegar (Miles Irving “Forager’s Handbook”)
Remove the elderberries from their umbels using a fork or place them in the freezer and remove the berries easily while they are still frozen. I accumulate berries in my freezer in dribs and drabs throughout autumn then make a big batch.
Weigh the berries before placing them in a suitable kilner or tub then add 500ml of white wine vinegar for every 350g of fruit. Leave covered for 3-5 days, stirring occasionally. Strain off the liquid (discard the berries) and add 350g of sugar per 260ml of liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes then bottle.
Goats Milk and Gorse Flower Panna Cotta, Rhubarb Gel, Spruce Sugar, Roasted Hazelnuts, Wild Herbs
Ingredients for the panna cotta:125 ml goats cream
125 ml goats milk
125 ml coconut cream
125 ml goats yoghurt
1 vanilla pod scored and seeds removed
85 gram sugar blended with 15 gorse flowers (spice grinder or pestle and mortar)
2 ¼ leaf gelatine soaked in water
Method:
Put the milk, cream, coconut cream, vanilla pods, vanilla seeds, into a small pan and slowly simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the soaked gelatine leaves until dissolved. Now add the gorse flower sugar and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool a little, and then place in the fridge, stirring occasionally until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla pods. At this stage add the crème fraich and whisk gently until fully incorporated. Divide into four serving moulds (espresso cups, small glasses, soup plates). Cover and chill for at least an hour.
Garnish with rhubarb, toasted hazelnuts and some foraged suitable herbs (spruce sugar optional).
