Savoury

In King Lear, Shakespeare warned that the dangers of gathering samphire made it a dreadful trade, but it has never been easier to gather this fragrant, green sea vegetable. We collected ours from the cliffs in Brighton as it grows at the bottom of the cliff as well as the top, so no need to hang over the edge to gather.

Serving suggestions: Use this recipe as a side to a seafood dish for the full coastal taste it provides. We served it with fresh haddock and crème fraîche.

Serves – variable 

Foraged Ingredients

• A handful per person of rock samphire, freshly picked from the cliffs and rinsed in cold, clean water.

Other Ingredients

• One clove of garlic per person
• A splash of olive or sunflower oil
• Ground black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste

Method

1. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a sharp knife. Peel and slice finely. 

2. Add the oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic.

3. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the rock samphire to the pan and sauté on a low heat until tender (about 3-5 minutes). 

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan; continue to stir over a low heat for a minute to combine the flavours.

5. Add black pepper and a squeeze of lemon to taste. Enjoy!

Expert’s Tip

The samphire is quite salty due to growing next to the sea, so avoid using any extra salt.

This dish is a great way to get the most out of our rivers’ most luxurious offering: crayfish. The mushrooms and white sauce provide a silky, nutty base, and the fresh ingredients lift the flavour of the sweet meat (like a milder version of lobster) beautifully. It’s the perfect recipe to impress on a warm summer’s evening! 

Serves – 2 

Foraged Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of cooked and prepared crayfish tails (or as much as you can catch!) Read our guide on catching and preparing crayfish here
• 3 large handfuls of mixed wild mushrooms, roughly torn into large chunks

Other Ingredients

• 150g linguine
• Splash of olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced
• Small glass of white wine
• 50ml double cream
• 1 lemon, half juiced, half cut into wedges to serve
• Scattering of parsley

Method

1. In a large pan of well-salted boiling water, cook the linguine according to the instructions on the pack.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Be careful that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry for 2 mins.

3. Pour in the white wine and leave it to bubble for 1 min. Pour in the cream, stir, and cook for 2 mins. Add the crayfish and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Tear and add most of the parsley, reserving a few leaves to garnish.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the frying pan; continue to stir over a low heat for a minute to combine the flavours.

5. Serve garnished with the rest of the parsley and lemon wedges.

Expert’s Tip

Crayfish are most active at night. If you are using a trap, consider leaving it overnight to maximise your haul. Check out our crayfishing guide for extra tips!

This dish combines the earthiness of the foraged ingredients with the freshness of the peppers and onions. It is elevated by coating all the ingredients in balsamic vinegar, that cuts through the earthy flavours without overpowering them. The topping of bright flowers and its colourful appearance make it the perfect light, summer lunchtime meal, or a delicious accompaniment to an evening barbeque. 

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

x

• Three-to-four large dandelion leaves to bulk out the salad 
• A handful of clovers 
• A handful of hairy, bitter cress 
• A few edible flowers such as marigolds, dog roses and dandelions 

Other Ingredients

x

• Half a green pepper sliced into thin strips
• Half a yellow pepper sliced into thin strips
• Half a raw red onion sliced into semi-circles 
• A splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixed together, for dressing

Method

1. Thoroughly wash all foraged ingredients with cold water, to remove any dirt or impurities.

2. In a bowl of your choice, add the large dandelion leaves.

3. Sprinkle in the clovers and hairy bittercress and lightly toss with salad spoons.

4. Arrange the peppers and onions atop of your foraged base.

5. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the whole salad and toss gently, ensuring all ingredients are coated.

6. Gently place the wildflowers on top of the salad to garnish.

Expert’s Tip

Briar’s Rupert Birkett-Eyles recommends adding a cheese to the salad to add depth of flavour. A sharp parmesan or creamy feta would pair delightfully with this summer salad.

This nettle pesto is astonishingly versatile and can be adapted to whatever you have in your cupboard. If you can’t get your hands on pine nuts – sunflower seeds, cashews and almonds all make great alternatives or, for a dairy and nut-free version, nutritional yeast is our reliable vegan go-to. 

You’ll find the nettle adds an almost umami note to the more traditional basil-only pesto and we love how it turbo-charges pasta sauces, stacked sandwiches and silky risottos with calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. 
We used tagliatelle on this occasion, but any long pasta would work, and garnished with edible wisteria petals for a little self-indulgent moment!

Serves – 4

Foraged Ingredients

x

• 5 – 10 nettle tops, as young and green as you can find, and without buds or flowers

Other Ingredients

x

• A handful of pine nuts, toasted
• A handful of fresh greens, we recommend spinach, basil or parsley
• 2 generous glugs of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• The zest and juice of a small lemon
• Around 3 spoons of parmesan (grated)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Take a basket – and gloves to avoid a sting – and forage 5-10 nettle tops. These are cut from the upper 6-8 leaves of the stem.

2. Rinse in cool water to wash off any unwanted passengers and blanch for 1-2 minutes to remove the sting and bitter notes.

3. Next, heat a pan over gentle heat and cook your pine nuts until golden brown, keeping a close eye so they don’t catch.

4. In a food processor, add the green leaves, oil, garlic, zest, lemon juice, and parmesan and blitz until a rough paste forms.

5. To this, add the blanched, dried nettles and toasted nuts, adding a bit at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

6. Season to taste and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Expert’s Tip

For those looking to offset the slightly more bitter note of nettles picked later in the season, we recommend blanching the leaves for an extra minute and adding a dash of high-quality balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses.

This is a quick and easy dish, perfect to whip up as a light meal or afternoon snack. With a hero ingredient of nettles – found in abundance at this time of year – balanced with the depth and boldness of blue cheese, this is a recipe that favours the brave.

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

X

• Nettle leaves (1 small bag) 

Other Ingredients

X

• Glug of olive oil
• Small tub of crème fraîche
• 1 spoon of wholegrain mustard
• Small block of blue cheese (or any other strong cheese)
• Slices of sourdough bread (around 4)

Method

1. Prepare your nettles by cutting the leaves from the stems, rinsing them in a bowl and draining them in a sieve or colander. Use a spoon to lightly press the leaves in order to remove excess water.

2. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large pan and drop in the nettles. Heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the leaves are completely wilted.

3. Remove the nettles from the heat and leave to cool for a minute. Then, roughly chop the leaves on a board. 

4. To a bowl, add the nettles, crème fraîche, mustard and most of the blue cheese. Use a spoon to combine the ingredients well. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

5. Put the grill on to a medium-high heat, and lightly toast your slices of bread.

6. Spread the nettle-cheese mixture evenly over the slices, and crumble the remaining cheese on top.

7. Grill until golden and bubbling, then serve immediately.

Expert’s Tip

The nettle flavour defines this dish, so it is important that they taste good. Try to just use the top 6-8 leaves of young nettle plants to get the best flavour.

Pakoras, with their crunchy texture and aromatic spices, are a beloved treat across South Asia, colloquially associated with rainy days and iftar feasts. Incorporating foraged nettles into this classic dish adds a unique twist, infusing it with earthy flavors and nutritional goodness. This recipe transforms a humble weed into a delectable appetizer or snack, perfect for any occasion.

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

• A generous handful of nettles, freshly picked and washed.

Other Ingredients

• 1 cupped handful of chickpea flour (besan)/gram flour, available at most major retailers
• 1 sliced onion
• A pinch of turmeric 
• A pinch of ground cumin (dry roast cumin seeds and coarsely pound) 
• A pinch of ground coriander 
• A pinch or teaspoon of chili powder (according to taste)
• Salt, to taste
• Water, as needed
• Oil, for frying

Method

1. Begin by carefully harvesting fresh nettle leaves; wear gloves to avoid stings. Refer to our beginner’s guide for more details. Wash the leaves thoroughly and chop finely. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine chickpea flour, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.

3. Add the chopped nettle leaves and onions. 

4. Gradually dribble in water and whisk the mixture; aim for a pancake batter-like consistency. 

5. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.

6. Test the oil by adding a small spoon of the mixture. It should bubble and rise to the top slowly. 

7. Use a spoon to drop the mixture in, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Let the pakoras rise to the top (this should take around 2-3 minutes) then flip them and cook the other side. 

8. Using a slotted spoon, remove the golden pakoras and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.

9. Serve the nettle pakoras hot, accompanied by your favourite dipping sauce or chutney. A simple chutney can be prepared by blending yogurt, mint and coriander leaves.

Expert’s Tip

Blanching the nettle leaves before chopping can reduce the sting. And, Briar’s Aysha Imtiaz says, leave the batter a bit on the thicker side before you incorporate the onions, as the onions will release some water of their own.

Saag is a South Asian dish based on spinach with garlic and onion. It is the quintessential foraged dish because it is traditionally made with zero-waste, foraged greens such as mustard greens and fenugreek leaves, which are found across the Punjab region. This leads to a wonderful complexity of flavour and a very forgiving dish. Many families also toss in young leaves from the tops of turnips, beetroots and carrots.

It is traditionally served with a dollop of ghee and makai ki roti (cornmeal flatbread), and increasingly dominates menus with paneer, similar to cottage cheese. At Briar, we love it as a catch-all and malleable dish to help us reinterpret and celebrate our foraged bounty. 

Serves – 2

Foraged Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of fresh dandelion greens (the young, tender leaves) 
• Optional: wild spinach, mustard greens, or wild garlic if in season

Other Ingredients

• 1 small bunch of spinach (more if not using any of the foraged versions above) 
• 1 generous dollop of ghee – may substitute with olive oil 
• 1 pinch of cumin seeds 
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 green chili, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
• 1 pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 pinch of ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• A splash of water
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• A small handful of chopped coriander (optional)

Method

1. Gather young, tender dandelion leaves and rinse them well by swishing them in water until it runs clear. If you’ve managed to find wild spinach and mustard greens, wash them as well.

2. Chop the greens roughly and set aside. Roughly mash the stalks using a rolling pin, pestle and mortar or two rocks if you are cooking outdoors. Set aside. 

3. In a wide pan, heat ghee or olive oil over a medium heat. Add a pinch of cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds until fragrant.

4. Add the turmeric powder, ground coriander and ground cumin in the oil. Let them “bloom”. This means they cook in the oil/ghee and may even stick to the pan. If that happens, just add dribbles of water and stir to release the spices.

5. Toss in the finely chopped onion, letting it soften and turn translucent. Add minced garlic and green chili, sautéing until the garlic is lightly golden. Turn the heat low. 

6. Now, it’s time to introduce the star of our dish – the freshly foraged dandelion greens and spinach, along with wild spinach/mustard greens, if using. Add them to the pan, gently wilting them down with the aromatic base. Use your spoon to roughly mash them and ensure the spices are evenly distributed. 

7. Dribble in more water to help create steam, and stir frequently. Depending on how mushy you like your saag, you can cover the pot and let it cook down with around a cup of water all together, or cook with the lid off, stirring frequently and adding water as you go.  

8. Once it is of a consistency you like, season with salt to taste. It helps to add salt at this point instead of earlier to help get a more accurate idea as quantity can vary depending on how long you cook it down. Depending on the freshness of your leaves, this can take from 15-25 minutes. 

9. You know the saag is ready when there is some oil on the side of your pan and separating from the saag mixture. Turn off the heat. 

10. Finish off with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brightening up the flavours. If you have garam masala in your pantry, add a pinch. For a more decadent touch, you can add a pat of butter or ghee, and chopped coriander on top.

11. Serve your dandelion saag hot, as either a nutritious side dish, explosive dip or a comforting main course accompanied by nan, bread, steamed rice or rustic, cornmeal or oat-based bread.

Expert’s Tip

Briar’s Aysha Imtiaz says parboiling the greens first and selecting the most tender leaves helps reduce the bitterness in saag.