I love spring. Sure – in Wales it’s often still wet, windy and mostly grey but in those few fleeting moments when the sunshine peeks through all hope is restored. And then there’s the blossom and greenery, the world slowly comes back to life bloom by bloom.
One of my favourite ways to mark the season is to meet up with my friend Georgie and go foraging for wild garlic. It feels like a stretch to say foraging really, as there’s so much of it local to us in the Vale of Glamorgan that you don’t have to try hard to find it!
That said, it’s important that you learn how to forage for wild garlic safely and responsibly.
Wild garlic foraging tips
- Learn what wild garlic looks like: It can be easy for someone new to foraging to mistake other plants for wild garlic. Tearing a leaf and smelling it will help, if it gives off a strong garlic smell you’re probably safe. Lily of the valley is poisonous and can look similar, so before heading to the woods make sure you can spot the difference between lily of the valley and wild garlic confidently.
- Only take what you need: A few handfuls of wild garlic leaves should be sufficient for any recipe. You should spread out your foraging across multiple plants, and take from just underneath the leaves so that it can grow back. Never pick the entire plant or rip it out from the roots.
- Pick from the right place: Wild garlic grows best in damp, shady woodland near water. Avoid foraging by the roadside or right along footpaths, as there’s a solid chance that dogs have visited before you!
- Time your visit: I like to pick wild garlic in early spring, as the flowers are in bloom from late March to early April. Wild garlic flowers help with plant identification, and additionally are delicious on top of your wild garlic dishes 🙂
- What are you going to use it for? Wild garlic is tastiest when used fresh, I usually make wild garlic butter or pesto. Other popular dishes are soups, salads and pasta dishes. It’s sweeter and slightly more mellow than normal garlic, so you can pop it in most dishes!
If in any doubt, do not pick and eat any foraged plants. Do your research and forage safely!
Now you have your wild garlic washed and ready to go, let’s cook something with it! Here’s what I made with my wild garlic this year:
Wild garlic and pancetta pasta
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 500g spaghetti or pasta of your choice (I used Lilo’s Salt and Pepper Fusilli – a lovely Welsh business!)
- 130g pancetta, diced
- A handful of wild garlic leaves, washed and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp double cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Wild garlic flowers, to serve (optional)
Instructions:
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving a cup of the pasta water.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it starts to crisp up. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the olive oil and the chopped onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until it smells wonderful.
- Add the butter to the pan and allow to melt. Stir in the wild garlic until just wilted.
- Add the cooked pasta and pancetta to the pan with the wild garlic and onion. Toss everything together, season to taste and add the double cream. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Time to serve up! Once plated, place a wild garlic flower on top or to the side if using.
Enjoy, let me know if you’ve made this in the comments section below – I’d love to hear what you think!
