Sow Thistle Tarte Tatin

I love the taste of artichokes and sow thistle (Sonchus) is the closest it gets to artichokes in terms of flavour, especially the flowers.

I had the pleasure of devouring the most delicious artichoke tarte tatin at The Hospital Club restaurant in Covent Garden, and have been daydreaming about it. That’s why I took the liberty of transforming that recipe into its wild food equivalent.

INGREDIENTS

30 gr sow thistle, leaves and flowers

1 pinch rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (rapeseed oil)

For the base:

1 egg

125 flour

40 gr plain Greek yoghurt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

salt

water if necessary

METHOD

Blanch the sow thistle in a little boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.

In an over-proof pan, make a syrup with 1 tablespoon of sugar and water until it starts to become a golden caramel (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly and checking that the sugar doesn’t turn brown. Add the rosemary and blanched sow thistle and warm through for 2 minutes until caramelised. Take off the heat.

In a bowl, prepare the base by mixing all the ingredients together and if the dough looks too dry add a little water. Roll the base into a disc the same size as the pan with the caramelised sow thistle: cover the caramelised sow thistle with the base.

Bake the tarte tatin in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. Let it cool slightly for 5 minutes then place a dish over the pan and turn it upside down so the caramelised sow thistle shows on top.