Ingredients
In the risotto:
– Nettles (leaves) // from Edible Landscape
– Babington’s leek (leaves) // from Edible Landscape
– Saltbush (leaves) // from Edible Landscape
– Risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
– Vegetable broth
– olive oil
– Vegan butter
– Lime
– White wine
(Eventually half a glass of milk and some parmigiano)
Topping:
– Three corn leek (flowers and leaves) // from Edible Landscape
– Alkanet (flowers) // from Edible Landscape
x 2 people
12-15 leaves
4 leaves
3 little branches
180 grams
1 litre
1
½ glass
6 leaves
Preparation
(Nettles are a plant famous for its stinging effect, so equip yourself with latex gloves).
1. First, wash nettles under cold running water, drain, and toss them in a pan with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Once they have softened, add a little water and cook over low heat. The nettles will no longer be stinging, so we can cut them up and set them aside.
2. In a deep skillet, we put a small piece of butter and the chopped saltbush and Babington’s leek leaves. When the butter has melted, we pour in the rice (90 grams each) and let it brown over high heat, stirring constantly.
3. After three minutes, pour a half glass of white wine and while vigorously stirring the rice until the wine evaporates completely. This step adds a tinge of acidity to the risotto.
4. Once the wine has evaporated, we can add a couple of ladles of hot stock and the nettles. The broth should just barely cover the rice. Set the flame to half power. The secret to a good risotto is to stir very often and not let the rice stick to the pan. The broth will slowly evaporate and be absorbed by the rice: when you see the rice becoming dry, add more broth. This process may take about 15-20 minutes, depending on the power of your flame. Keep testing the rice to see if it is cooked. (If you make the vegetarian version, you can add half a glass of milk halfway through cooking along with the broth and you’ll have a creamier risotto).
5. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the flame. This is the time to add a few pieces of cold butter (and parmesan cheese if you are making the vegetarian version) and stir until melted. After washing a lime well, add a very small amount of grated lime zest (just the green part, not the white). Test the risotto and add salt if necessary.
6. Place the risotto in bowls. On top you can put the finely chopped three corn leek leaves and its white flowers. To give a hint of color, we can add the blue alkanet flowers.
