Spring dandelions – Forage these sunshine heads on your daily walk!

 

Bittersweet and foraged makes this dish a perfect late spring treasure. I use the sunshine head of the dandelions in vibrant salads while pan frying the stalks and leaves as a side. When using the flowery heads, these need to be picked and eaten on the same day, as they wilt and discolour very quickly. Dandelions are best picked within the spring months so whilst you are taking a walk make sure you plan-ahead and pick some to have and enjoy the same day. Leave the house with a pair of scissors for snipping and a basket to lay them in as to not damage their gentle happy heads. I would recommend that you do not pick them on the roadside due to vehicle pollution and make sure when you return home you wash them well in a little salted water to remove hidden bugs, grime and doggy wee. Dandelions have a slightly sweeter taste, but often they still hold their notorious bitter flavour too, some would say like marmite. I am a lover of dandelions, not so much of marmite alas. They work perfectly as a side dish to a piece of fish or meat, tossed through pasta or my favourite would be squashed in-between a panino filled with a little cured meat, spicy provolone cheese and topped with the warm pan-fried dandelions greens.

Today’s recipe is a traditional Easter offering but for as long as I can remember, I make this at least once a month. I always feel healed once I’ve eaten it. Such pleasure. Spezzatiello is a traditional dish from Southern Italy that uses a vegetable leaf called ‘Escarole’, along with diced lamb, eggs, chicken stock and Parmigiano Reggiano.  Traditionally an Easter dish in the southern region of Puglia.  The escarole leaf is very delicious, the best way to describe it would be that it is like kale or spinach, the dialect name in Italian for escarole is La Scarolla.

My parents used to go out foraging with my Nonno Giuseppe and Nonna Carmela picking dandelion leaves, these would be used instead of escarole to make this dish. Dandelion leaves are full of flavour and have a slightly bitter taste to them.  When Escarole couldn’t be found this is what would be used and Nonna Carmela still makes Spezzatiello with dandelion leaves today.

 

Spezzatiello

Preparation time:  15 minutes                                          Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

400g lamb diced, fat removed

300g blanched escarole

6 free range eggs, whisked

100g Parmigiano Reggiano & Pecorino, grated

Salt & pepper, to season as required

1.25 – 1.5 litre chicken stock or until the diced lamb is covered

Bakeware dish 10” x 10”

Preheat oven 190°C / Gas 5

  1. In a saucepan add a little olive oil and brown off the diced lamb.
  2. Place the blanched Escarole into a colander to remove any excess water and squeeze.
  3. Once the lamb has browned, cover with the chicken stock, and gently simmer until tender for 1 hour.
  4. In a bowl crack and whisk the 6 eggs and add a little pepper. Grate in the Parmigiano Reggiano and stir.  Set aside until needed.
  5. When the lamb has had an hour’s cooking, add in the escarole and stir. Cook for ten minutes and then add ¾ of the egg and cheese mixture and stir.  Cook for a further 5 minutes until you can see the egg is combining and has become slightly scrambled.
  6. Now pour into an oven dish. Spoon the remaining egg over the top of the Spezzatiello. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until golden.