Try this Lesser Celandine recipe with a cold bottle of beer and an aioli dip. You will only require the leaves of the Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) for this recipe. These can only be used in early spring before the flowers appear. The stalks can be saved and used in a stir fry or would be a welcome addition in a noodle soup.
Lesser Celandine Recipe Ingredients
- 75g washed celandine leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 225g plain flour
- 100g butter, cubed
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Lesser Celandine Recipe Instructions
- Steam the celandine leaves for 2-3 minutes, when they should have just wilted. Turn out onto a chopping board and chop them very finely.
- Put the seeds into a small frying pan over a medium heat and leave to heat for a few minutes. When the spices start to release their fragrant smells, tip them into a mortar and grind.
- Place all the ingredients, apart from the celandine, in a food processor and blitz until the mixture forms crumbs. Tip into a bowl and add the celandine and enough water so the mixture just comes together with your hands. 1-2 tablespoons should be sufficient. With your hands shape the dough into a square.
- Place a sheet of cling film on a work surface. Add the dough and cover with another sheet of cling film so the dough forms a filling between as plastic sandwich. Using a rolling pin, roll into a larger square so it is about 30 cm wide and 25cm deep. The dough should be about the thickness of 2 x £1 coins.
- Place the dough, still wrapped in its cling film in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Preheat the oven to 180ºC Gas 4
- To make sure the dough is not sticking to the cling film I usually lift the top layer, place it back onto the dough and turn the whole thing over, before removing the top sheet. Using a sharp knife cut the pastry into 1cm strips. Twist each one before spacing a little apart on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.
- Bake in the prepared oven for 15 minutes when they should have browned. Leave to cool on a cooling rack and then store in an air-tight tin for up to a week.