Slipping down to the coast early morning, I harvest the young autumnal Alexanders stems. They are so young that I simply lift them out from the earth, beautiful blanched sweet stems ready for some simple cooking.
Serves: 3
- 3 handfuls of chopped alexanders stems (leaves removed)
- 2 large knobs of butter & a glug of olive oil
- 1 lime (juiced)
- sea salt & cracked black pepper
Gently boil the chopped alexanders for 2 minutes in water, then drain. Melt the butter with the olive oil and gently fry the alexanders on low for a good 15 minutes. Fry them until they are very, very soft. The slower and softer you can cook them the better they will taste.
Towards the end add the juiced lime, and put a lid on the pan. Steam fry on medium in the lime juice for about 30 seconds. Serve with crushed sea salt to taste. If you leave them overnight in the fridge, they turn into a thick buttery dish once warmed back up to room temperature, and the flavours have had time to meld.