Creamed Ground Elder

Ingredients:

400g young Ground elder shoots
1 small onion, chopped
45g plain flour
60g butter
500ml milk
120g cheese, grated
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Method:

Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the ground elder shoots and the onion and blanch for 1 minute. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Now prepare a cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a pan then scatter the flour over the top and stir in to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then beat in the milk until smooth, before seasoning with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Stir-in 100g of the cheese and keep cooking, stirring constantly, until it has melted and has been incorporated into the sauce. Take off the heat and set aside.

Butter a gratin or oven-proof dish then layer the ground elder in the base before pouring a layer of the cheese sauce over the top. Add another layer of ground elder then a layer of the cheese sauce, repeating in this fashion until the dish is full (finish with a layer of cheese sauce).

Now combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese and scatter over the top of the dish. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is well browned. Serve hot.