Nettle Risotto

The third dish I cooked with our foraged food was a nettle risotto based on a recipe from Giorgio Locatelli's fabulous cookbook „Made in Italy, Food & Stories“.

(serves 2)

2 handfuls of young stinging nettles
750 ml vegetable stock
150 ml dry white wine
200 g arborio rice
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
nutmeg
extra virgin olive oil

Wash the nettles and blanch for 30 seconds in boiling salted water, then drain. Keep a few leaves back and purée the rest. Set aside. Finely chop the onion and garlic.

Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion, garlic and celery over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until soften but not brown. Add the rice and keep stirring until it becomes transparent. From here the risotto takes about 15-20 minutes. Now add the wine. Keep stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Then add the stock a ladle full at a time.

After 10 minutes add the puréed nettles and season with some nutmeg. When the rice is to your liking (al dente or just cooked) remove from the heat, season with pepper and (if required) salt. Stir in the parmesan and a glug of olive oil. Cover and rest for 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately scattered with parmesan and the left-over cooked nettle leaves.