GREAT OUTDOORS

Springtime brings an abundance of wild garlic which is perfect for foraging enthusiasts that love seasonal dishes. Our chef, Mike Francis loves to cook this recipe at home and can often be found foraging on the coastpath and in hedgerows for its ingredients. Wild garlic is really easy to spot, but the Morel mushrooms can be a little more tricky, so if you’re not that confident then you can pick these up from most supermarkets. For the finishing touch try pairing this with Saumur Blanc, L’Insolite Domaine des Roches Neuves (Loire, France) 2017 

Pan fried cod, wild garlic veloute, asparagus and Morel mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 x fillet of cod – portioned into 4 pieces
500g freshly picked wild garlic – washed
2 x potatoes – peeled and chopped
1 x onion – peeled and chopped
½ leek – chopped and washed
1 x stick celery – chopped and washed
250ml vegetable stock
50g butter
100ml double cream
2 x bunches asparagus
20 x Morel mushrooms 

 Method

Wild garlic veloute – in and hot saucepan add a little oil and the butter, put in the onions, carrot and leek and cook until soft. Add the potato and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn down and leave to simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Once cooked add the wild garlic and the cream and boil for 1 minute. Pop into the blender until smooth and pass, return to pan and leave on a low heat. Season to taste. 

In a hot non-stick pan, add a little oil and place the cod into the pan skin side first, season with a little salt. Once there is a little golden brown colour around the edge, place into the oven at 180c for five minutes. In the meantime cook the asparagus in a saucepan with a little water, butter and salt for 2 minutes or until it can bend. Pan-fry the morels in foaming butter until soft, don’t cook to harshly otherwise they will go crusty. Take out the fish and turn over, finish with butter and squeeze of lemon. Place wild garlic veloute into the bottom of a bowl, place the asparagus and Morel mushrooms around and final place the cod in the centre of the bowl and enjoy. 

Wine pairing

We recommend pairing this with a Saumur Blanc, L’Insolite Domaine des Roches Neuves (Loire, France) 2017. The grapes are aged on fine lees for 12 months with regular batonnage. The nose is rich and enticing, with pears, pineapple and honey. The palate has a marked vitality, with perfect balancing acidity. 

This is such an incredible wine and will pair perfectly with Mike’s recipe.  The green notes of pear and asparagus and garlic pair classically.  The rich texture of the wine from extended lees contact with the rich creamy sauce and depth of this dish from the morel mushrooms is delightful.  The high vibrant acidity will cut through the richness leaving your palate wanting more.