There are a few surefire ways to tell that spring has sprung in the UK – and no, the weather isn’t one of them
One is that the clocks have changed, leaving your oven out of sync with everything else in the house, and the other is the appearance of wild garlic. Yes it’s officially green season because the long pointed leaves and white flowers have begun to blanket British woodlands, and chefs have gone mad fer it. It may be one of the easier ingredients to forage and cook yourself but when you’ve got glorious green dishes like these just waiting for you on restaurant menus and specials boards, let someone else do the picking so you can focus on the eating.
Westerns Laundry
Green has started appearing on the Westerns Laundry menu, like in this braised chicken and bread dish. A real spring chicken if ever there was one.
Jumi Cheese
Swiss cheese shop Jumi Cheese is ringing in spring with a limited-edition, very creamy wild garlic la bouse.
Murano
Angela Hartnett’s Murano is celebrating the new season by pairing one spring hero (asparagus) with another (wild garlic) in this pappardelle dish.
The Culpeper
You can’t beat a bit of bread and butter, especially when the bread is a Snapery East baguette and the butter is loaded with wild garlic.
Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal
Wild garlic is taking pride of place on Alex Dilling’s new vegetarian menu with this St Ewe egg, wild garlic, kampot pepper, morels and brioche dish.
Osteria Angelina
Wild garlic gets the Japanese-Italian fusion treatment at Osteria Angelina with this stracciatella, wild garlic and rice furikake combo.
The Ninth
Jun Tanaka is getting in on the wild garlic action at The Ninth, where a salted beef cheek & tongue dish with wild garlic & white asparagus mayo has hit the menu.
Calong
Fresh off the back of receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand, Calong has a new spring menu, which includes Tropea onion and wild garlic japchae with pea shoots.
