Wilde Garlic Butter

This butter always reminds me of my childhood, when my mother used to make her own herb butter. She didn't use wild garlic, but mixed fresh chives and parsley instead.

If you can't find wild garlic, that's a delicious alternative. You could even add a small crushed clove of garlic for a little extra flavour.

This herby butter is wonderful spread on warm toast, served alongside a bowl of soup, or used for cooking. I also used it in a simple traybake with chicken, potatoes and lemon.

It also freezes beautifully. Roll the butter into a log using baking parchment, then place it
in a freezer bag. Alternatively, chill it in the freezer for about an hour until it's just firm enough to slice, then cut it into rounds and freeze the slices individually.

  • Ingrediënts

    • A few generous handfuls of wild garlic (about 100–150g)
    • 250g unsalted butter, softened
    • Sea salt

  • Method

    Wash the wild garlic thoroughly and leave it to drain well in a colander before spreading it out on a clean tea towel to dry completely.
    Finely chop the leaves with a knife or mezzaluna, or pulse them briefly in a food processor.
    Mix the chopped wild garlic through the softened butter and season generously with sea salt to taste.

A Tip for Your Garden

Because I enjoy cooking with wild garlic so much, I planted a few bulbs in a wooded corner of our farm several years ago. That first attempt wasn't a success—the soil was simply too sandy. Last year I tried again, this time in richer, damper soil, and this spring the patch has already spread beautifully.

Wild garlic is surprisingly easy to grow in the garden. Plant the bulbs in autumn in a shady
spot with moist, fertile soil, and they'll gradually establish themselves year after year.

A Few Foraging Tips

If you're lucky enough to find wild garlic growing in the wild, there are a few simple things to keep in mind. Avoid picking close to busy roads, wash your harvest thoroughly, and
always forage responsibly by taking only what you need.

An Important Note

Never confuse wild garlic with lily of the valley. Their leaves look remarkably similar, but lily of the valley is highly poisonous. Fortunately, wild garlic is easy to identify by its unmistakable garlic scent.

Photography, words & recipes: © Anna Rubingh