Nettle Risotto Recipe - A Recipe for Nettle Risotto | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

Can you boil and eat nettles? ›

Nettles need to be thoroughly cleaned and de-stung before eating. To do this, the easiest method is blanching them in boiling water and rinsing them afterward, squeezing out the water before sautéing them or adding them into soups or stews. By blanching the nettles, they get cleaned and broken down in one fell swoop.

A hint of wine is often added after the rice to deglaze the pan, but the real star of risotto is the broth. While constantly stirring the rice, warm broth is added in, one ladle-full at a time. Over time, the rice absorbs the broth, releases its starches, softens, and creates that signature velvety texture.

At the first sign of nettles flowering and going to seed, you should stop picking the leaves – the plant starts to produce microscopic rods of calcium carbonate, which when absorbed into the body can interfere with our kidney function.

At this point, it's best to think of stinging nettles in a similar fashion to spinach in terms of cooking the leaves. Quickly blanching them in a pot of boiling water will deaden the sting. But leave them for too long and - like spinach - the leaves will wilt too far, and start to lose flavour, texture and goodness.

It is important to be careful when handling the nettle plant because touching it can cause an allergic rash. Stinging nettle should never be applied to an open wound. Because nettle can alter the menstrual cycle and may contribute to miscarriage, pregnant women should not use nettle.

The stinging substance in nettles (formic acid) is neutralized with heat and once it is dried. Cooked nettles can be eaten straight as a vegetable or added to quiches, casseroles, meat pies, egg scrambles, meat loaf, lasagna, etc.

It's the simplest way of getting nettle into your body, but you can also cook it into larger dishes or even apply it topically if you have a skin irritation. Because the stings have to remain firm to cause the irritation, cooking the leaf instantly makes them safe – don't try to eat the leaf raw in a salad or anything.

For risotto, that ingredient is salted water, according to chef and writer Naomi Pomeroy (via The Kitchn). If you've ever made risotto before, the recipe that you followed most likely called for broth or stock, but the truth is that salted water produces better results.

We par cook it. We make the recipe without finishing it with cream or butter or cheese. We pour the hot risotto onto a sheet tray to cool quickly and then store it in a container. Once we are ready to serve, we reheat the risotto with a little chicken stock, and finish with cream, butter, and some parmesan cheese.

Should you constantly stir risotto? ›

When cooking risotto on a stovetop, you're required to periodically stir it to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Some people, however, stir it too frequently. This adds air into the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey.

Ingredients for Mushroom Risotto

Broth: Homemade chicken broth is always the best choice for flavor, but you can use store-bought chicken broth for convenience. Choose low-sodium broth and adjust the seasonings at the end.

The key, instead, is to undercook the risotto and cool it rapidly to prevent that rice from overcooking, so you can easily finish cooking it later.

Anti-inflammatory activity. Nettles are useful for a variety of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and chronic myalgia. Nettle tea or herbal supplements have been shown to effectively treat gout, relieve muscle aches and minimize the symptoms of arthritis.

It might seem a bit scary, but fresh nettles can be eaten raw. But be cautious and be sure to neutralize the formic acid that can sting you.