Allium ursinum– Wild Garlic, or the name I much prefer, Ramsons. This plant is probably one of the most commonly experienced plants in the British countryside, not necessarily by taste, but by smell. From January onwards you will find the young shoots pushing their way up through the leaf litter of broadleaved woodlands and by March it is hard to move in these areas without catching it’s distinctive scent.
A member of the onion family, Ramsons are very versatile and available for picking throughout late winter into spring in areas where they are found. They have a very similar cousin across the Atlantic called Ramps, these can be used like-for-like in any Ramsons recipe, and vice-versa. For more information and safe collection tips for Ramsons you can visit our dedicated page.
The following is a very simple sauce suitable for dipping or using as a drizzle or dressing, it is tangy at first taste with the garlic flavour kicking in after a few seconds. This recipe came about as a dipping sauce for periwinkles which we have used time and again on private coastal foraging days.
Ingredients
- 30-60g / 1-2oz Wild Garlic leaves – A mixture of young and older works well
- Half a teaspoon red chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Half a teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Quarter teaspoon ground black pepper
- 60 ml / 2 fl oz mild olive oil
Method
- Chop the wild garlic finely, my technique for this is to align the leaves roughly with each other and roll them lightly into a bundle. This can be held like a bunch of chives or spring onions whilst you slice finely one way, then at a right angle to your initial cuts. Keep to one side in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper, and chilli flakes (if using). Once combined, lightly whisk the mixture as you slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. The mixture should emulsify slightly.
- Finally add in the chopped wild garlic, I recommend adding in half and stirring to combine before allowing to sit in the fridge for half an hour and tasting. At this point the flavours will have had time to mingle and you can adjust to taste by adding more wild garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt or pepper.
Notes:
This sauce should be kept refrigerated and consumed within 5 days. It also freezes well if you have any leftover!
If you’d like to learn more about Wild Garlic, we’ve compiled our most popular articles, recipes and guides in one Ultimate Guide to Wild Garlic.
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