From Trail to Table: Stinging Nettles Risotto with Preserved Lemon Recipe

How would you like to make a free family dinner from your day’s hike? From trail to table is a new series of blog posts that I write about foraging for the family table. In the autumn, we made wild blackberry jam. This year, we waited for spring to find some tender green stinging nettles and packed rubber gloves and plastic bags on a hike with our girls. Our kids love eating stinging nettles and anything off the trail so this was a great culinary application of what the great outdoors can bring to you!

Though stinging nettles are not usually associated with yummy things, they are delicious and their nutty taste makes them as easy to use as spinach (with added beta-carotene and vitamin C). Lucky for gourmet hikers of all ages, stinging nettles are very common on the trail and stinging nettles risotto is a guaranteed child-pleaser (it’s also very easy to make).

Foraging Stinging Nettles

First, make sure that you can positively identify stinging nettles. You can find out the hard way (get stung) or check out this handy guide with pics of stinging nettles at various stages of their life cycle.

To forage for stinging nettles, make sure that you cover all exposed skin area so that you avoid being stung. In this picture, I am wearing:

long sleeves – to cover arms
kitchen rubber gloves – to protect fingers
high rain boots – to protect ankles

It’s best to harvest only the top young leaves and if you can, only the leaves (not the stem). Just so.

After 10 minutes, my husband and I had harvested roughly 6 oz / 170g. This is what it looks like in the bag.

Hopeful, I thought that we had half a pound but volume can be deceiving. After weighing it on a scale at home, we clearly didn’t have that much.

To make the stinging nettles risotto

Wash and rinse the nettles and discard the tough stems. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and blanch for a couple minutes.

Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, squeeze and chop on a board with a sharp knife.

In a big pot, melt 30g / 1Tbs of butter and add one chopped onion. Sweat for 8 to 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add 175g / 6.5 oz arborio rice to the onions and stir. Meanwhile, heat 900 ml / 2 US pints of fresh chicken stock in a separate pot. Add the stinging nettles and stir.

Ladle in the chicken stock, ladle by ladle, over low heat and stir frequently to let the rice slowly absorb the liquid.

Halfway through the cooking (which should take about 20 minutes), add 20cl / 1 cup of white wine and continue to stir. As you can see, we are very scientific about the 20 cl.

If you are lucky to have lemons preserved in olive oil in your cupboards, now’s the time to finely chop a big lemon slice and add it to the risotto. If you don’t have preserved lemons, do’t worry. You can do without.

Keep adding the stock until it has all been absorbed. Right before serving, add 50 g / 2 oz of grated parmesan or pecorino romano and stir.

This is it. Enjoy!

From Trail to Table: Stinging Nettles Risotto with Preserved Lemon Recipe

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Forage stinging nettles with the kids during the day and make this delicious risotto later for dinner. Packed with wild vitamin C, this risotto is an easy one-pot meal.

Author: Frog Mom

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Foraging

Serves: 8 cups

Ingredients

170g / 6 oz wild stinging nettles
900 ml / 2 US pints fresh/good chicken stock (you can also use vegetarian stock)
30g / 1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
175g / 6.5 oz arborio rice
1 big slice of lemon preserved in olive oil, chopped (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
50g finely grated parmesan or pecorino romano

Instructions

Wash the nettles, pick them over and discard the tough stalks.
Bring a large pan of water to a boil and blanch the nettles during a few minutes.
Drain the nettles. When they are cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out and chop them finely with a sharp knife.
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the chopped onion, making it sweat during 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the stock until almost boiling and keep warm over low heat.
Add the rice to the onion and stir. Add the stinging nettles to the rice and onion and stir.
Ladle in ⅓ of the stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
Over low heat, add the stock, ladle by ladle, and stir frequently so that the rice absorbs the liquid. Halfway through, add the wine and chopped preserved lemon and continue to stir.
When all the stock has been absorbed (around 20 minutes) stir in the parmesan and serve right away.

Notes

Preserved lemons can be found in oriental stores or in stores with a wide range of condiments.