John Wright
LATIN NAME
Heracleum sphondylium
SEASONALITY
Young shoots March–June
HABITAT
Very common, except in northern Scotland, at roadsides, field edges, waste ground
MORE RECIPES
Green garlic, asparagus and oven-scrambled eggs
Tough, hairy hogweed does not look particularly appetising, but one part of it at least is extremely good to eat. From early spring to early summer each plant produces its young leaves one or two at a time. These shoots, perhaps 10–15cm long, curl round at the tip where the leaf is forming. A walk along almost any hedgerow will reveal a plant at every other step, and the forager should check each one and pull or cut off any young shoot that has appeared.
The shoots, like the rest of the plant, are hairy and not at all good to eat raw. However, the hairs wilt to nothing with cooking and, for many recipes, they can be treated as honorary asparagus shoots, excepting that the taste is of parsley. They are pleasant steamed and served with butter. I also like to arrange very lightly cooked shoots radially on a quiche just before putting it in the oven. In tempura batter, the stem and curled leaf soften to a perfect succulence, nicely matched by the crunchiness of the batter. A dip to go with it is always welcome and nothing could be more appropriate than wild garlic pesto.
The young flowerbuds are also edible and very good, but they are always covered in a fibrous sheath which needs to be removed unless very young, resulting in the flowerbud falling to pieces.
Hogweed is easy to identify and extremely common, but do not mix it up with the giant hogweed, an invasive species usually found near water, whose sap can cause severe skin damage. Hogweed is also a member of the treacherous carrot family, which includes not only carrots but also the deadly hemlock and hemlock water-dropwort. Fortunately the latter two are not hairy at all.
One further small warning – some people find that, as with giant hogweed and wild parsnip, their skin becomes photo-sensitised by the hairs of hogweed, causing long-lasting scars. Once it is cooked, the hairs are harmless.
STEAMED HOGWEED WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS
This is a quick and simple way to enjoy a small bounty of hogweed. Serves 2
12–14 hogweed shoots, well washed
4 medium eggs
25g butter
Sea salt and black pepper
Good malted grain or rye bread, toasted, to serve
Pour a large glassful of water into a medium pan fitted with a steamer basket. Set over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the hogweed to the basket, put the lid on and steam for 4–5 minutes. Test a shoot to make sure it is tender.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs lightly together in a bowl. Put a medium, non-stick saucepan over a low heat. Add half the butter and allow it to melt and bubble, then add the eggs. Cook very gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring regularly. Good scrambled eggs should be soft, creamy and tender, so take the pan off the heat when they are still a little ‘wet’ – they will continue to cook off the heat. Season well with salt and pepper.
Toss the hot hogweed shoots with the remaining butter and some salt and pepper. Serve the eggs on toast, topped with your steamed hogweed.