Wild Drink Recipes

Nettle Beer

900g (2lb) Young Nettle Tops
4.5lt (8 pints) Water
450g (1lb) Demerara Sugar
2 Lemons
25g (1 oz) Cream of Tartar
15g (½oz) Brewers or Wine Yeast

Rinse and drain the nettles.
Finely peel the lemons, removing only the outer waxy layer, squeeze the juice.
Place the nettles and water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, boil for 15 minutes. 
Strain the liquid into a large container and add the lemon rind and juice and cream of tartar. Stir well.
Allow it to cool to about 21°C (70°F), remove a little of the liquid and mix with the yeast, then add the yeast mixture to the liquid and stir.
Cover the container with a clean cloth and ensure that the cloth does not come into contact with the liquid.
Leave in a warm place 21°C (70°F) for 3 days.
Strain the liquid into strong bottles and cork.
Secure the corks with wire, leaving a little play (for possible expansion)
Store the bottles in a cool dark place.
If the corks begin to rise, release the wire slightly and re-secure.
The beer should be ready to drink after one week.

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Beech Noyau

A noyau is a cordial made from brandy, gin, cognac etc. This, however, is a classic British version, using young beech leaves.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of gin (700ml)
225g white sugar
200ml brandy
400ml young beech leaves

Method:

Only use very young beech leaves, freshly stripped from the stem. Add these to a bottle or glass jar (with a secure lid) until the vessel is half full. Add the bottle of gin then stopper the jar and store for 3 weeks before straining the alcohol off.

Meanwhile add the sugar and 300ml water to a pan and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and allow to cool before mixing with the flavoured gin and the brandy. Pour into bottles and store.

This makes an excellent mixer and can even be drunk neat. It's well worth making and I guarantee that everyone you serve it to will go mad for it.

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Moules Mariniere with Wild Garlic

Ingredients:

1.75kg/4lb mussels

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 shallots, or 3-4 spring onions finely chopped

15g/½oz butter

100ml/3½fl oz local cider

120ml/4fl oz double cream

Handful, coarsely chopped of parsley leaves

2 good handfuls of chopped wild garlic leaves (ramsons)

Crusty bread, to serve

Preparation method

Wash the mussels under plenty of cold, running water and throw out any open ones that won't close when lightly tapped.

Pull off the 'beards' from between the closed shells, and quickly rinse again.

Soften the shallots or spring onions, and clove of garlic in the butter in a pan large enough to take all the mussels when they open.

Add the mussels and cider, turn up the heat, then cover and steam them open in their own juices for 3-4 minutes. Give the pan a good shake every so often.

Add the cream, chopped wild garlic and parsley, continue to cook for a couple of minutes then remove from the heat.

Season to taste, spoon into four large warmed bowls and serve with lots of crusty bread. Serves 4

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WILD GARLIC DOLMADES

Ingredients

100g bulgur wheat
100ml boiling hot water
60 large wild garlic leaves
2ltrs boiling hot water for blanching
5ml olive oil
1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
75g grated halloumi cheese
4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds lightly roasted
1tsp finely chopped mint
1tsp coarse black pepper
Extra olive oil for drizzling

Method

Place the bulgar wheat into a ceramic bowl and pour over 200ml of boiling water.
Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Blanch the wild garlic leaves in 2 litres of boiling water for 1 minute to soften the
central stem.

Heat the olive oil and lightly sauté the onions until lightly brown. Remove from heat and add all the remaining ingredients together with the bulgur wheat, and mix well.

Depending on their size, take two or three wild garlic leaves and, with the shiny side down, lay one leaf next to the other overlapping them slightly. Straighten off the stalk ends.

Take 2 teaspoons of the mixture and place in the centre of the leaves at the stalk end.

Fold over once and then tuck the sides of the leaves towards the centre as tightly as possible. Continue to roll, ensuring that the package is as tight as possible with no breakages in the leaf parcel. Secure with a cocktail stick and pack into a steamer. Continue until all the leaves are used.

Steam for 20-25 minutes. Place on serving dish and drizzle with olive oil, then serve