“If you choose a vegetarian dish in a restaurant, it may contain mushrooms as they’re packed full of flavour. Here they’re served with an easy-to-make wild garlic pesto, made with any nuts you prefer. If you can’t find these big mushrooms, replace them with chestnut or button. And remember to season well.”

Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes, cooking time 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 large Portobello mushrooms, brushed clean and wiped with a damp cloth
250ml organic extra-virgin olive oil
50g hard cheese, grated
50g lightly-toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
A handful of washed and dried wild garlic
A few salad leaves
Good salt and pepper

METHOD
Place a griddle pan onto the hob and get it quite hot. Season the mushrooms, cut them in half and rub with a little olive oil, then place on the griddle until browned with the bar marks of the griddle, or even cook on the BBQ if it’s on. Cook for about 10 minutes, seasoning as you go and give another trickle of oil to the pan if it needs it.

Next, make the pesto by simply adding most of the wild garlic to a liquidiser with the cheese, nuts and remaining oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz until the ingredients are all incorporated. The longer you blend, the smoother it will be. I like it quite chunky.

To serve, spoon the pesto onto warmed plates and place the mushrooms on the centre of the pesto. Scatter a few salad leaves around the edge of the plate. Wilt the retained garlic leaves on the griddle and drape these over the mushrooms.