English Pea Tortellini & Wild Garlic Butter Emulsion
FOOD + DRINK
CHEF’ S KISS
English Pea Tortellini & Wild Garlic Butter Emulsion
Recipe by: Alex Yates, head chef / owner, Bowleys Restaurant, bowleysrestaurant. com
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the wild garlic pasta dough:
• 240g 00 flour( plus extra for dusting)
• 3 large eggs
• 30g fresh wild garlic
• 15ml olive oil
• 3g salt( about ½ tsp)
For the English pea and mint purée:
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice( adjust to taste)
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the wild garlic butter emulsion:
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed
• 2-3 tbsp reserved pasta cooking water
• 2 tbsp wild garlic oil
Method:
For the wild garlic pasta dough: 1. Prepare the wild garlic: rinse thoroughly, pat dry and roughly chop.
2. Make the garlic purée: blend the wild garlic with the eggs until smooth and bright green.
3. Mix the dough: pile the flour on a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Pour in the garlic-egg mixture, olive oil and salt.
4. Combine and knead: gradually incorporate the flour with a fork or fingers. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth, elastic and non-sticky. Dust with extra flour if necessary.
5 Rest the dough: wrap in clingfilm and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
For the English pea and mint purée: 1. Cook the peas: bring salted water to a boil, add peas, cook for 3 minutes until tender and bright green.
2. Reserve cooking water: ladle out 240ml of the hot water before draining.
3. Blend: drain peas and combine in a blender with mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add 120ml of the reserved water, then blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water to adjust consistency.
4. Chill( ice bain-marie): place the bowl over ice water, stir gently until slightly firm and cool.
5. Adjust seasoning: add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
For the wild garlic butter emulsion: 1. Heat the butter: gently melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add pasta water: stir in a small amount of starchy pasta water to create a smooth, glossy emulsion.
3. Finish with wild garlic oil: whisk in wild garlic oil off the heat to preserve flavour. Set aside until ready to toss with pasta.
Assembling the dish: 1. Assemble the pasta: take the wild garlic pasta dough, roll it thin and cut into small squares; a spoonful of the English pea and mint purée goes in the centre, then each square is folded and shaped into classic tortellini.
2. Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, reserving a ladle of pasta water.
3. Toss the cooked pasta in the wild garlic butter emulsion, adding extra pasta water as needed to coat the pasta evenly.
4. To finish, drizzle with wild garlic oil, sprinkle over micro herbs or pea shoots and finish with cracked black pepper.
108 • www. insidekent. co. uk