Fern Freud's pizza with wild garlic pesto
Josie Gibson spends a day in the countryside with foraging expert Fern Freud. While there she learns that she loves eating raw wild garlic, that stinging nettles hurt, and that there is more to do with sticky weed than just hooking it onto your friend's school jumper. Josie and Fern end the day by making a delicious wild pizza using all of their foraged goodies.
Pizza with wild garlic pesto
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
For the wild garlic pesto:
2 handfuls of wild garlic, washed and finely chopped
Handful of toasted pine nuts, finely chopped
50g finely grated parmesan
1 lemon
Salt
About 80ml olive oil
For the pizza:
25g butter
2 large handfuls of nettles and sticky weed, washed and finely chopped
300g pizza dough
100g tomato based pizza sauce
125g ball mozzarella
Method
1. To make the wild garlic pesto, mix together the wild garlic, pinenuts and parmesan with a pinch of salt and the finely grated zest of the lemon. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, then stir in enough olive oil to make a smooth paste.
2. Preheat the oven to 220C fan oven, Gas 4, or preheat a pizza oven.
3. Heat the butter in a large frying pan, then add the chopped nettles and sticky weed. Season, then sauté for about 3 minutes, or until dark green and wilted.
4. Stretch or roll the pizza dough to a circle about 30cm diameter. Place onto a baking sheet (or pizza peel if you are using a pizza oven).
5. Top the dough with the tomato sauce, then drizzle on a few tablespoons of the garlic pesto, followed by the sauteed greens. Tear the mozzarella and sprinkle across the top.
6. Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until the pizza base is crisp. If using a pizza oven, please follow the manufacturer’s cooking instructions.
7. Leave to cool for 1 minute, then cut into slices and serve.
NOTE: Take care when foraging – do not eat a wild plant unless you are absolutely certain what it is.
Wild plants may be rare and protected, inedible or poisonous. Use reliable sources and reference books to identify them and do not pick or eat unless you are 100% sure they are safe.
For details and advice on foraging, please read the ‘Responsible foraging guidelines'