Wild garlic is a short-lived ingredient, so make the most of it while you can. Philippa Davis’ wild garlic pithivier with watercress, mushrooms and goat’s cheese makes the perfect supper for the changing seasons.

For more inspiration on what to do with your wild garlic, save a bunch for Nick Weston’s woodpigeon carpaccio.

WILD GARLIC PITHIVIER WITH WATERCRESS, MUSHROOMS AND GOAT’S CHEESE

Makes 4 servings

• 10g dried wild mushrooms
• 100ml just-boiled water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 100g brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 75g watercress, roughly chopped
• 100g baby spinach
• 100g roughly chopped wild garlic (about one large handful)
• 125g ricotta
• 125g soft goat’s cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ tbsp grainy mustard
• 600g puff pastry
• Plain flour for dusting
• 1 egg yolk mixed with
• 1 tbsp milk

Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour over the hot water. Leave for 20 minutes, then strain the liquid through a muslin to catch any grit. Finely chop the rehydrated mushrooms.

In a pan on a medium heat, sauté the brown mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When softened, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the rehydrated mushrooms and their liquor. Season and cook until most the liquid has disappeared. Tip into a bowl and place the pan back on the heat.

In the same pan, season, then sauté the shallots in 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl of mushrooms, then place the pan back on the heat.

Add the final tablespoon of oil to the pan, then season and cook the watercress, spinach and wild garlic until it has all wilted. Allow to cool a little, then squeeze out most of the moisture.

Add the greens into the bowl with the mushrooms and add the ricotta, goat’s cheese, egg and mustard. Stir well.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Roll just under half the pastry into a disk about 25cm in diameter.

Brush with the yolk/milk, then pile the mushroom mix into the middle.

Roll the rest of the pastry into a 30cm disk and lay over the top, pressing round the outside to seal the two layers together.

Brush with egg mix, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Pierce a small hole in the top with a knife and lightly make scores on the dome from the top to the outer edges in a curved pattern.

Bake on the middle shelf for 20 minutes, then on the bottom shelf, to help cook the underneath, for a further
15 minutes.

Serve hot or warm in slices; delicious with a lightly dressed green salad.