Hedge Garlic Wraps with Mushrooms and Nettle Crisps
An easy canapé, made using the larger leaves of hedge garlic. You’ll find these growing lower down the stem, or in the rosette around the base of the plant (these, the ‘basal leaves’, are at their largest and most succulent in late autumn to early winter, before the first hard frosts, and again in early spring). Smaller mushrooms such as fairy ring champignons or the buttons of poplar mushroom or honey fungus work better here, though you could use larger mushrooms cut into small chunks. If you have some of our pickled chanterelles, or any other preserved mushrooms, you could use those for the filling. Hawthorn ketchup makes a good sauce here, but we can imagine our elderberry balsamic working equally well. You could add other leaves or herbs, but we find this simple combination very tasty.
- 4 large leaves of hedge garlic
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small handful nettle crisps
- 2 handfuls small or chopped mushrooms (or use preserved mushrooms if you have them)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (if using fresh mushrooms)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons of hawthorn ketchup
Method
- Wipe the hedge garlic leaves. Fill a large bowl with cold water, add the lemon juice, then wash the hedge garlic leaves in the water. Pat them dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
- If you’re using fresh mushrooms, clean and prepare them, then heat the olive oil in a small frying pan set over a medium heat. Cook the mushrooms until softened, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place a hedge garlic leaf face down . Put a spoonful of cooked or pickled mushrooms on the leaf. Add a spoon of hawthorn ketchup and top with a few nettle crisps. Fold up the bottom part of the leaf, then fold in the sides form a pocket and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining leaves and serve immediately.
Credits
Recipe by Wild Food UK, photos by Otherwise for Wild Food UK
1 comment for Hedge Garlic Wraps with Mushrooms and Nettle Crisps
Wow that’s amazing.