Chris Mapp Tickled Trout Wild garlic and potato soup recipe

Spring has sprung into gear swiftly this year after months of gloomy, abject weather. It’s so good to see the buds appearing on the trees and the daffodils in their splendour.

This is one of my favourite times of year and it’s traditionally when chefs get giddy as we can start foraging for wild garlic and wild mushrooms – the St George mushrooms will be appearing soon.

Do be careful when picking your bounty, we need to respect the plants, so simply tear the leaves or snip them and don’t pull up the stalk and roots.

The bulbs below are protected, so mustn’t be removed. Some other tips – don’t pick a lot from the same area, spread out your harvest area. Also, look up and try not to pick directly under a tree as there will be plenty of bird droppings on them!

The flowers that come are edible too and are great as a garnish to this month’s recipe or in salads and the like.

We then pickle the capers that are left once the flowers drop off. Such a versatile plant… and it’s free.

Wild garlic and potato soup

INGREDIENTS

100g unsalted butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped

500g potatoes, such as marfona, cut into chunks

1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

200g wild garlic leaves, thick stalks already removed, roughly chopped

50g young spinach leaves

50g double cream

Wild garlic flowers to garnish

METHOD

Melt the butter in a large saucepan add the onions and a large pinch of salt, this helps to release the juices from the onion.

Gently cook on a medium heat until the onions start going translucent without colour.

Now add the potatoes and place a lid on the pan and sweat until the potatoes start to soften.

Check with a fork or knife, when the potatoes are just about to break, add the sock the garlic and bring to the boil.

Take off the heat, add the spinach, this keeps it nice a green. And blend with the double cream whilst still hot.

Check for seasoning, I like to add a couple of twists of black pepper.

Enjoy!