Recipe for Wild Garlic mash (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 lbs (900g) unpeeled potatoes, preferably Golden Wonders or Kerr’s Pinks

½ pint (300ml/1¼ cups) creamy milk approx.

1 whole egg

1-2 ozs (30-55g/¼-½ stick) butter or extra virgin olive oil

6 tablesp. (6 American tablesp.) freshly chopped wild garlic leaves

Garnish:

Wild Garlic Flowers

Scrub the potatoes well. Put them into a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil.

When the potatoes are about half cooked, 15 minutes approx. for ‘old’ potatoes, strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put on to a gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are fully cooked.

Peel immediately by just pulling off the skins, so you have as little waste as possible. Mash while hot (see below). If you have a large quantity, put the potatoes into the bowl of a food mixer and beat with the spade.

While the potatoes are being peeled, bring about ½ pint (300ml) of milk to the boil. Add the egg into the hot mashed potatoes and add enough boiling creamy milk to mix to a soft light consistency suitable for piping, add the fresh wild garlic and then beat in the butter or olive oil, the amount depending on how rich you like your potatoes.

Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Scatter with wild garlic flowers.

Note: If the potatoes are not peeled and mashed while hot, and if the boiling milk is not added immediately, the potato will be lumpy and gluey.