Wild Garlic Potato Salad

preparation 5 minutes
cook time 20 minutes
Serves 4

Fresh wild garlic plus a drizzle of homemade wild garlic oil transform a simple potato salad dish into something truly memorable

Recipe taken from The Forager's Kitchen Handbook by Fiona Bird (CICO Books, £9.99)

Ingredients Method

For the wild garlic oil
Leaves and stalks from about 12 young wild garlic plants
About 150g rapeseed oil
Special kit:
A juicer
For the potato salad:
800g new potatoes
8 wild garlic leaves, washed and dried
12.5 g butter
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
Juice of ¼ lemon
Wild garlic oil
2–3 wild garlic or and chive flowers, washed, dried, and segmented

Start by making the wild garlic oil. Wash the wild garlic leaves and stalks, and shake them dry (a few drops of water will aid the juicing). Slowly push the leaves and stalks through an electric juicer. Mix one part wild garlic juice to two parts oil for an amazing, vibrant green oil. Shake very well before use, and make small amounts as required.

Scrub the potatoes (to remove loose dirt). Valuable nutrients are just under the skin and these are lost by peeling. Cut any larger potatoes in half. Cook in a minimum quantity of boiling water for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are just soft.

Meanwhile, chiffonade the ramps leaves (roll the leaves up tightly and cut into thin shreds).

Drain and reserve the potatoes, and add the butter and let the potatoes cool completely. Add the crème fraîche (or cream cheese mixed with single cream) and the lemon juice to the potatoes, and toss well.

Season with freshly ground pepper, then drizzle with emerald green wild garlic oil and decorate with ramps and chive flowers.