Spring awakening

Spring is here! Discover sophisticated and delicious recipes from the Marché kitchen.

Marinated rosemary chicken thighs

For 4 servings you will need:

  • 6–8 small, fresh chicken thighs
  • 160 g Dijon mustard
  • 10 g fresh rosemary
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 level tbsp. salt/pepper mixture
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Cut the garlic cloves into small pieces, chop the rosemary finely and add the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and puree until you have a thick liquid.
  2. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. First coat the chicken thighs with olive oil and then brush on the rosemary marinade.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (355 °F) and bake the chicken thighs for 30–35 minutes.

Marché tip: Marinate evenly!
Place the meat, the marinade sauce and the herbs into a freezer bag. This allows the marinade to disperse evenly.

Asparagus-strawberry salad

A new spin on asparagus, the spring classic: create a delicious salad by artfully combining it with sweet strawberries.

For 4 servings you will need:

  • 750 g white asparagus
  • 150 g strawberries
  • sea salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 dash of lemon juice
  • 50 g white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 50 g sugar

Instructions:

  1. Peel, wash and cook the asparagus until firm to the bite and drain thoroughly.
  2. Combine the washed and halved strawberries to the asparagus and add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper and sugar. Let marinate.

Marché tip:
Don’t prepare too much salad at one time, so that the strawberries stay fresh.

  • «How can you tell if asparagus is still fresh? Fresh asparagus spears make squeaky sounds when rubbed together.»

    Markus Jäger Purchasing & F&B Manager

Wild garlic cream soup

Fragrant wild garlic is currently in season and can be easily prepared as a delicious soup.

For 4 servings you will need:

  • 150 g fresh wild garlic
  • 200 ml cream
  • 100 ml white wine
  • 1,5 l of water (or vegetable broth as an alternative)
  • 100 g butter
  • 25 g cornstarch
  • sugar
  • salt
  • fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

  1. Briefly sauté the fresh wild garlic in butter.
  2. Add the water and the wine, bring everything to a boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Purée the soup with a hand blender.
  4. Then add the cream and season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
  5. Mix the cornstarch with a little bit of water and slowly add this mixture to the simmering soup. This will cause the soup to bind and become a little bit thicker.

Marché tip: Make the soup look appetizing!
When preparing the plate, don’t forget to add a small bonnet of whipped cream, a dash of sour cream or crème fraîche to the soup and feel free to decorate the serving with fresh wild garlic, pine nuts or crumbled fried bacon.

Lemon balm syrup

Beautifully packaged or decorated, lemon balm syrup is an ideal – and delectable – homemade gift.

For 2 liters you will need:

  • 1–2 bundle of lemon balm
  • 2 l of water
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 kg sugar

Instructions:

  1. Thoroughly wash the lemon balm, pluck off the leaves and place them in a large pitcher.
  2. Bring 2 liters of water to boil and pour it over the lemon balm leaves.
  3. Press the juice out of the lemon and add it, along with the sugar, to the lemon balm water. Stir everything well until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
  4. Now leave this mixture undisturbed for one to two days, only stirring occasionally.
  5. After this period, pour the liquid through a filter, bring to a boil again and then fill into warm bottles.

Dandelion honey

For approximately 600 ml you will need:

  • 4 handfuls of dandelion flowers
  • 1 l of water
  • 1 kg cane sugar
  • ½ sliced lemon

Instructions:

  1. Soak the dandelion flowers in cold water and slowly bring the mixture to a boil – turn off the stove and let the mixture stand overnight.
  2. Drain the dandelion flowers, gently squeeze and collect the liquid.
  3. Add the cane sugar and the lemon slices to the liquid, stir and boil at low heat to allow the liquid to evaporate.
  4. Allow the liquid to cool and repeat once or twice until the honey has the desired thickness.
  5. Pour the honey into glasses while still hot and seal well.

Marché tip: Boiling – gentle preparation
Only heat the liquid until it is almost at the boiling point and the surface starts to gently ripple.
This will prevent overcooking.