Stuart Gillies, co-owner (with his wife Cecilia) of Number Eight in Sevenoaks and Bank House in Chislehurst, has shared a chef-led guide to cooking with spring produce at home. From what to look out for right now to simple ways to elevate everyday ingredients

What signals the start of spring in the kitchen
“Key spring ingredients are asparagus white and green, morels, wild garlic (which we pick locally), rhubarb, sea kale, nettles, cuttlefish, peas and broad beans, cavolo nero, spring cabbage, grelots.”

What he’s most excited to cook with
“Depending on the weather, the fishing is really good. So there are so, so many fantastic fish varieties available from the spring onwards… cuttlefish, john dory, sea trout are fabulous… plus of course asparagus and morels are always amazing… along with blood oranges and wild garlic.”

Underrated spring ingredients
“Cauliflower and spring cabbage are delicious, plus very light and pair with almost anything… wild garlic of course is free and full of nutrients and anti-oxidants…”

How to get the best from spring produce
“Spring vegetables are mostly green, so need to be cooked quickly and retain crunch along with flavour… Start with boiling salted water if cooking in water and cool quickly in ice water to retain colour and flavour…”
“Also try to buy from a good source ie farm shop or farmers market.”

Simple ways to elevate ingredients at home
“My system is to have a really well stocked larder of ingredients and flavours that bring out the best of the new ingredients in a delicious way… small additions that lift the fresh new produce in any style you like…”

What he’s cooking at home right now
“We’re cooking a lot of lighter dishes currently, coconut curry, beef wraps, salmon and egg ramen, nicoise salad, chicken caesar, chicken Milanese, king prawn and grapefruit summer wraps… plus of course bacon and cheese bagels at the weekend!!”

A simple spring dish to try
“We mix up all the new greens like cavolo nero, peas, beans, wild garlic and dress with parmesan, lemon and olive oil, served with pan fried sea trout and crushed new potatoes.”

Balancing flavour in lighter dishes
“The lighter ingredients just need more care and careful cooking, with a good balance of sweet, salt and acid to bring out the flavours fully…”

Favourite flavour combinations
“I really like white asparagus when it starts, preferably from the Loire valley, it’s delicious cold or hot with cured ham, eggs, or with wild garlic mayonnaise.”

Simple recipes and ideas
Poached English asparagus with wild garlic mayonnaise… is simple but awesome flavour served with brown toast.
Also pan fried sea trout with prawn cous cous and salsa verde

Store cupboard staples
“There are lots actually, as so much high quality good produce comes in tins… butter beans / cannelloni beans are quick and fabulous for so so many dishes, peas and edamame frozen always a winner, chopped Italian tomatoes, dashi stock powder, the list is endless. I probably have about 50 basic items always in stock as bases to make something when Cecilia has a ‘nothing in the house to eat’ moment then I magic up a dish for the gods!!”

Quick flavour boosters
Wild garlic mayonnaise
Courgette pesto
Tomato and parsley salsa
or I always have a herb pesto on hand to lift any cold or hot dishes and it works spread on toast with anchovies!