Wild Garlic Fatteh with Spring Peas and Pomegranate Molasses

• ▸4 large pita breads, torn into rough 4cm pieces
• ▸3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ▸2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
• ▸600ml vegetable stock
• ▸1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▸1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▸0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▸80g wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped, plus a few whole leaves to finish
• ▸200g fresh or frozen peas, blanched
• ▸3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, plus extra to drizzle
• ▸2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▸1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▸3 cloves regular garlic, minced
• ▸1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ▸0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• ▸60g toasted pine nuts
• ▸Seeds of 1 pomegranate
• ▸Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
• ▸0.5 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, to finish

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Toss the torn pita with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then spread in a single layer on a large baking tray. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until the pieces are deep golden and snap when you break one. Set them aside. They'll soften during assembly, so they need to be almost unreasonably crunchy right now.

2. 2

   While the pita bakes, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 90 seconds, until the sizzling quiets and the garlic smells sweet but hasn't colored. Add the cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika, stir for 30 seconds until the spices bloom and smell toasty, then tip in the drained chickpeas.

3. 3

   Pour in the vegetable stock and 100ml of the reserved chickpea liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 minutes. The chickpeas should absorb the spiced broth and taste seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface. Adjust salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Make the wild garlic sauce: blend the chopped wild garlic leaves, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt until you have a rough, intensely green sauce. It won't be perfectly smooth and it doesn't need to be. Taste it. It should be sharp, garlicky, and a little sweet, with enough acid that it makes you blink slightly.

5. 5

   Drop the blanched peas into the chickpea pan for the last 2 minutes of simmering, just to warm them through. You want them to stay bright green and hold a little bite, not go grey and soft.

6. 6

   Spread the toasted pita chips across a wide, shallow serving platter or bowl. Ladle the hot chickpea and pea mixture over the top, making sure plenty of broth gets into the bread. Don't rush this step; the broth is what makes the pita worth eating.

7. 7

   Spoon the wild garlic sauce over the chickpeas in uneven, generous dollops, then drizzle an extra tablespoon of pomegranate molasses straight from the bottle across the whole thing.

8. 8

   Scatter the toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, a few whole wild garlic leaves, and a pinch of chilli flakes over the top. Serve immediately, while the pita still has some texture left in it.

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

Calories

720

Fat

28g

Carbs

95g

Protein

24g

Fiber

16g

Sodium

980mg

Variations

• ◆Swap the wild garlic for ramp leaves blended with a teaspoon of preserved lemon pulp if wild garlic season has passed. The brine from the preserved lemon covers some of what you lose from the ramps' milder sulfur.
• ◆Press a layer of crispy lamb mince, cooked with allspice and a pinch of cinnamon, between the pita and chickpeas. It makes this a proper meal and the fat from the lamb soaks into the bread in a way that's hard to argue with.
• ◆Char the wild garlic leaves over a gas flame for 20 seconds before blending. Some of the raw sharpness burns off and you get a faint bitterness that sits well against the sweet peas and tart molasses.

Storage & Make-Ahead

The chickpea and wild garlic base keeps well in the fridge for up to three days in a sealed container, but store the baked pita chips separately at room temperature or they'll turn to mush. You can toast the pita and make the chickpea mixture a day ahead, then assemble just before serving. The pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, parsley, and chilli flakes should all go on at the last minute, since they lose their texture and brightness once they sit in the warm liquid. This dish doesn't freeze well, as the wild garlic turns slimy and the chickpeas go grainy after thawing.