Locally foraged fig leaves

May and June sees the emergence of fresh, delicate fig leaves. In his new book 'Tree Hunting', Paul Wood notes that the fig tree "could justly be described as the city's signature tree". At the height of Sheffield's industrial past, fig seeds were carried down the rivers and the water that had been warmed by the city's industry provided the perfect environment for them to flourish. Fortunately our rivers and city are much cleaner now, with the fig tree a reminder of this past that's now found across the city.

I first discovered the incredible flavour of the fig leaf in Italy when I infused fresh leaves into custard. The flavour is reminiscent of coconut and vanilla with hints of matcha and (unsurprisingly) fig! Fortunately we have an abundance of fig trees in Sheffield so I can continue to make this flavour. It's beautiful paired with blackberries that I picked locally late last summer and froze whilst they were at their best to use at a later date.