Woodruff (galium odoratum) yoghurt, dressing and seeded crackers

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Harriet Mansell recommends serving this dip with aperitifs or as part of a sharing menu. She finished her dish with three cornered leek (allium triquetrum) flowers because they were in season, but says you could also use wild garlic (allium ursinum) or chive flowers. 

Harvesting woodruff safely requires specialist knowledge, as it can easily become toxic to consume – however, this recipe works just as well with chervil or tarragon, so we recommend using those instead if you don't have experience foraging for woodruff.

First published in 2024

Harriet Mansell explains: 'Woodruff has to be handled correctly in order to prevent toxicity. Woodruff contains a compound called coumarin. Because certain moulds could convert the coumarin into dicumarol, it's essential to dry it out fully in a dehydrator or low temperature oven, and then store it in an airtight container. To prevent the conversion, you have to dry the woodruff quickly after washing, and not let it dry slowly.'

'As with all active wild foods, you should take care to note if you have any adverse reactions, and then not eat any more. Woodruff is broadly considered a beautiful fragrant herb and is used relatively widely in food and drinks. However, plants can hybridise and/or take on unfavourable elements from their environment from time to time, and so you should always exercise caution.'

'An alternative to using woodruff in this recipe would be to use some soft aromatic herbs of your liking, such as tarragon or chervil.'

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Woodruff oil

  • 300ml of pomace oil
  • 16g of dried woodruff, or tarragon or chervil
  • 5g of flaky sea salt

Woodruff yoghurt

Mixed seed and seaweed crackers

Woodruff and mint dressing

Method

1

For the woodruff oil, blitz all the ingredients in a high-powdered blender at full speed for 30 seconds

  • 300ml of pomace oil
  • 16g of dried woodruff, or tarragon or chervil
  • 5g of flaky sea salt
2

Heat the mixture to 82°C, then give it a final blitz using a stick blender at full speed

3

Strain the oil from the solids and cool immediately. Set aside in the fridge until needed

4

For the woodruff yoghurt, mix all the ingredients together with 120ml woodruff oil, using a spatula or whisk to make sure it is combined evenly

5

Preheat the oven to 160°C

6

Mix all the ingredients for the seed and seaweed crackers, and spread thinly (as thinly as possible) on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle with crushed sea salt flakes

7

Bake for 15–20 minutes or until toasted nicely

8

Just before serving, make the dressing. Very finely chop the mint, and run through 75g woodruff oil with the lemon juice and salt

9

To serve, spoon the woodruff yoghurt into a bowl. Drizzle around the mint and woodruff dressing and scatter over the quartered radishes and flowers. Break the cracker sheets into shards and prop these up in the yoghurt

Following years spent working on yachts as a private chef, Harriet Mansell returned to South West England, where she grew up, to open her own restaurants. She imaginatively showcases her love of wild food, which has developed over the course of her career.

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