Sorrel
Tuesday 22nd April 2008 by Tom Aikens
 At 26, Tom Aikens was the youngest recipient of two Michelin stars; today he is one of the most exciting chefs working in the UK today. In 2003 he opened Tom Aikens Restaurant  , in 2006 Tom’s Kitchen and in Feb 2008, Tom’s Place (all in Chelsea), a sustainable fish and seafood eat-in and takeaway restaurant.
Tom’s first cookbook, Tom Aikens: Cooking is hugely popular and he is currently working on his second book. Watch this space...
We can sing and cheer because it seems Spring is here, well... for a while at least. I for one am ecstatic at the arrival of the new season; a whole host of new vegetables are arriving to inspire us in the kitchen and it means no more stews or casseroles to slave over for a while!
This fortnight’s Food For Thought: Sorrel
Sorrel is rarely seen but it’s a herb with a sharp flavour – and it’s easy to grow.
 Wonderfully acidic and lemony, Sorrel leaves can be mixed raw into salads
Often used with fish in a creamy sauce or simply wilted in a bit of butter, it’s great with salmon or sea trout, or wilted with vermicelli
It works well as an accompaniment, wilted into vegetable soup
Use sorrel with all the spring veg around either wilted in as you cook them or just thrown in raw - its zingy lemony flavour is, like the veg, very refreshing
Other seasonal ingredients to look out for:
St George’s Mushrooms (from April 23rd)
Morel Mushrooms (just)
Spinach
Spring Onions
And Tom’s final word this fortnight: the above (mushrooms, spinach, spring onion) work well together in a curry, a pie, a salad or a quiche – the perfect dish for a spring lunch.
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