So the snow drops are out, like white drooping bells and the bright yellow manes of daffodils are in full bloom. All an indication that winter is just a distant memory and spring has sprung!
As a chef, you look forward to these moments. You never forget the flavours that a new season brings. The taste of young shoots of Asparagus and the smell of wild garlic in the hedgerows.
Asparagus can be used for a multitude if things from raw salads, lightly pickled or made in to purees and panna cottas. My personal favourite is lightly boiled, seasoned and buttered, these used as soldiers dipped in a runny duck egg gives you a little slice of heaven, with no fuss and messing around. Just good, honest, seasonal ingredients that work their own magic.
The current trend for wild garlic is ensuring the humble forager is making a killing selling it to restaurants and other such eateries. But with a little knowledge and luck you could well find it for yourself, saving yourself some money whilst enjoying a walk amongst nature, so be sure to look out for dense clusters of green spears thrust from the woodland floor, or later on in spring, the haze of white flowers they produce. These are perfect in a salad to add little punches of flavour.
So if you are looking for some tasty seasonal dishes, look out for the Hotel Folk menus and see what we like to do with ours.