Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Herb guide to Wild Rocket along with all the Wild Rocket containing recipes presented on this site, with 25 recipes in total.

e This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Wild Rocket as a major herb flavouring.

Wild rocket, Diplotaxis tenufolia (also known as Lincoln Weed, Sand Mustard, Wall Rocket and Perennial Wall-rocket) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Brassicaceae (cabbage) family of flowering plants, originally native to southern and central Europe.

It is an almost hairless perennial, forming a dense bushy rosette with erect branched stems usually 20 to 50 cm high. It displays small bright yellow flowers on short flowering stems from August to October. Each flower has only four petals, spread out in the shape of a Maltese cross. The leaves are lance shaped, up to 15 cm long with irregular lobes (sometimes they are unlobed). The fruit is a pod from one to four cm long by five mm diameter with a small beak-shaped end, the seeds are arranged in two rows. The part nearest the stem opens first, shedding seed. Wall Rocket forms a long tap root which utilises water from deep underground. This enables it to survive and grow throughout even the driest summer. In winter the top growth dies back until the following spring.

Though the leaves are similar in shape, it should not be confused with rocket/arugula (Eruca sativa), the common garden salad leaf. Though it is true that the young leaves of both plants look similar and even have a similar flavour profile, they are different species. In fact, the leaves of wall rocket are typically more peppery than garden rocket.

Wild rocket leaves can be used in salads, and can also be used as a flavouring for soups, stews and sauces. In this respect, wall rocket is more of a herb than common rocket. The plants were once common across Europe and were used as a food and medicinally during the Middle and Elizabethan ages. Subsequently they fell out of favour, but are becoming a feature of gardens again with the growing popularity of Italian cuisine.

Like the related cresses, horseradishes and mustards, the flavour of rocket leaves is dominated by iso­thiocyanates. The most important compounds were found to be 4-Methylthio­butyl iso­thiocyanate and 5-Methylthio­pentyl iso­thiocyanate; similar ω-methylthio­alkyl iso­thiocyanates are found in wasabi.

The English word rocket and its cognates in other European languages can all be traced back to Latin eruca, which referred to an early type of cabbage. The epithet 'wall' represents the plant's ability to grow in poor soils with very little moisture. Indeed, wall rocket can be seeded on walls and will grow happily there, providing a salad crop where nothing else will survive.

The most typical use of rocket is as a flavouring for salads. Indeed, it lends an interesting, spicy note to all kinds of green salads. Chopped rocket leaves are a good garnish for many Mediterranean foods, but care must be taken that the rocket flavour does not dominate. Rocket leaves prepared with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and freshly-grated Parmesan cheese also makes an excellent starter for any Mediterranean-based meal. In Turkey, rocket leaves are popular as a garnish for spit-roasted meats (eg the döner).

It should be noted that, in common with many members of the cabbage family, if it heated for any prolonged period rocket quickly loses all pungency, but acquires a characteristic, rather subtle flavour that fits well with certain dishes, particularly Italian pasta or risotto dishes. In such applications, however, it should be noted that one needs a lot of rocket to impart a noticeable flavour, and one should keep the heating period as brief as possible. Fresh rocket leaves, added to a pizza just as it comes out of the oven is also an excellent finishing touch.

The flowers and flower heads are also edible (they are good dipped in tempura batter and deep fried), as are the seeds, which were, historically, used as a mustard substitute.