This is one of my favourite ways to enjoy wild garlic during its brief season in spring.

(As ever, if you are a confident cook, the bold headings below are probably all you need – the rest is the detail.)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 400g risotto rice
• small glass white wine
• 750ml chicken stock (veg stock will also work)
• 80g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 40g butter
• bunch of wild garlic leaves (around 10 leaves), stems and leaves separated, coarsely chopped
• salt
• olive oil

Method:

Warm through the stock

Put the stock in a pan and allow to warm up gently – this is so that when you later add it to the rice bit by bit, it is hot enough not to slow the cooking

Soften the shallot and wild garlic stems in a pan

Put a decent glug of olive oil in a saucepan, heat and add the shallot and chopped wild garlic stems – fry gently for a couple of minutes until it softens.

Add the rice for a minute, stirring constantly

Up the heat a little and add the rice – keep it moving by stirring as not to burn for 1 minute.

Add the wine

Add the wine – it will sizzle vigorously which will burn off the alcohol and just leave the taste.

Add stock over 15  minutes or so

As the wine sizzle settles down, add some stock – add enough to cover but not drown the rice and stir (if you put in too much, you may find that you have too much liquid when the rice is cooked).  Keep a close eye on it, and the stock absorbs, add some more and stir.  Keep doing this until the rice is plumb but still al dente / has a little bite to it, and turn off the heat (it will continue cooking a little under its own heat).  Controlling the amount of stock will allow you to get it to an almost creamy consistency.

Stir in the  Parmesan and butter

Adjust the seasoning

Taste and add salt if you need to – the Parmasan will give it some saltiness so you probably won’t need much or any

Stir in the wild garlic

Add the wild garlic at the last minute – it will wilt with the heat but not overcook

Serve

Put in to bowls.  If you are lucky enough to have the wild garlic flower (around May time) then you can add as a garnish.  If you want to, drizzle a little olive oil over the top of each serving give it that chefie look!

Enjoy