My kitchen was suffused with the most wonderful smell: of garlic, but fresh and wild. I had left some wild garlic shoots on my chopping board for a few minutes. I wanted to capture the aroma in a sauce or a relish to serve with something mild, such as poached chicken, which would allow its fragrance and flavour to dominate. Look for wild garlic shoots at your local farmer’s market, or growing next to the bluebells in a wood.

Serves 4,
Prep 20min,
Cook 20min

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts
Salt

For the pesto
2 anchovy fillets
50g wild garlic shoots
1 cooked egg yolk
1tbsp grated parmesan
100ml olive oil
2tsp red wine vinegar

METHOD

Roughly chop the garlic shoots, anchovies and egg yolk, and whiz in a blender with the parmesan, olive oil and vinegar until you have a mossy green purée. Add a spoonful of water if too thick; refrigerate until needed. Place the chicken in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add salt and bring to the boil. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 20min or until cooked through. Drain, remove the skin, thickly slice and drizzle with the wild garlic pesto. Serve with small boiled potatoes or buttered noodles.

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