Wild Garlic Mayo & Crispy Potatoes
First of the spring recipes 🌱
Hey everyone, I hope you’re having a great week.
This week it’s all about wild garlic. At last 🌱
Wild garlic season in the UK is one of the first real signs that spring has arrived. It usually starts appearing in woodlands from mid-March and lasts until early June. Unlike regular garlic, wild garlic has a much fresher, milder flavour, making it perfect for pestos, soups, and of course, infused oils like this one. If you’re foraging, just make sure to pick the leaves responsibly, only take what you need and always double-check you’re identifying it correctly! Lots of greengrocers and farmers markets sell wild garlic now and you can even by it online.
There are some techniques you learn in restaurants that stick with you forever, and making herb oils this way is one of the best things I picked up in my time in professional kitchens. A lot of people blanch herbs in boiling water, shock them in ice, then squeeze them out before blending with oil, but I’ve always found that method a bit of a hassle. The technique I use here is so much easier, and in my opinion, it results in a far better oil. The colour is vibrant, and the flavour stays fresher and more intense.
Crispy potatoes, in my opinion, are the perfect vessel for a great mayo, golden and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, ready to be dunked into something rich and full of flavour. This wild garlic mayo and crispy potato combo is a great one. If you're planning an Easter feast, this makes for an ideal side dish, simple to prepare, packed with seasonal flavour, and guaranteed to be one of the first things to disappear from the table.
RECIPE BELOW…
Wild Garlic Mayo & Crispy Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Wild Garlic Mayo
150g wild garlic
350ml Light in Colour Olive Oil
1 egg yolk
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Ice
Salt
For the Crispy Potatoes
500g La Ratte potatoes
2 tbsp Light in Colour Olive Oil
Salt
Method
Wild Garlic Mayo
Add the wild garlic and olive oil to a blender and blitz until well combined.
Heat a medium-sized frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add the wild garlic oil and stir with a spatula. The oil should bubble when it hits the pan.
Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the green colour in the oil begins to separate.
Remove from heat and strain the oil through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Chill the bowl over a slightly larger bowl of iced water until cold, but not solidified.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk and white wine vinegar until combined.
Gradually whisk in the wild garlic oil until you achieve a thick, green mayo.
Season with salt to taste.
Crispy Potatoes
Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Place in a pan of cold, salted water and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until just tender.
Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
Once cool, slice the potatoes in half lengthways.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place the potatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt. Roast for 35-45 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally, until golden and crispy.