Wild garlic: chef Masse’s touch
After lime and verjuice, chef Nicolas Masse’s latest touch is no less important: wild garlic. This condiment takes its name from an urban legend: it is said that bears used to love it when they came out of hibernation. Wild garlic belongs to the same family as leeks and garlic: the Amaryllidaceae. If it is used as a condiment before it flowers, its flowers and buds can also be eaten. So, let’s find out more about wild garlic!
How to choose and store it
Wild garlic is picked in shady, wooded areas. It can easily be confused with autumn colchicum, lily of the valley or spotted gouet. Unfortunately, all three are poisonous! When picking your plant, fold the leaves and make sure you smell like garlic to avoid any confusion.
The season for wild garlic is very short. It is usually harvested just before it blooms in order to eat the leaves. Thus, wild garlic is harvested from February to March, depending on the region. Flowering usually starts a month after the first plants appear.
If it is not possible for you to pick it in the forest, don’t panic! You can buy it in pots and grow it on your balcony. Otherwise, if you are lucky, you may find a nice bunch in an organic shop. If not, you can always find it chopped in oil or powder.
To store wild garlic, you can wrap it in paper towels and place it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. This way it will keep for a week. Of course, you can always store it in the freezer for a few months like other herbs.
Identity card
