Stinging nettles - I cooked them and lived!
For years I've wanted to try stinging nettles - ever since I discovered that they were not only allegedly delicious but also a classic ingredient in Italian cooking. Every year I would watch - with some discomfort - a patch of the cursed weed grow along the edge of our field. Every year I would forget it was there and walk through it (ouch ouch ouch ouch).
So yesterday, wearing heavy garden gloves, I picked a small grocery bag full of the stuff. I washed them in a sinkful of water, poking them around with tongs. Then I steamed them lightly which - miracle of miracles - destroys the stingers, and then I chopped them and cooked them in a risotto. It was really delicious. I mean, as far as I'm concerned, you could cook poison ivy in risotto and I would think it was delicious - and much of the flavour of the nettles was lost in the cooking. But there was a faint spinachy taste - very dark green and quite nice. Dinner guests were highly impressed.
And they're supposed to be extremely healthy. Full of vitamins and minerals.
Just wanted to share.
Nyleve
Jun 09, 2006 11:09AM
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I have always loved nettles and I wish I had some in my garden. I like to stir fry them with a little soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Or sautee in butter with a splash of lemon juice and zest, or cooked any way you would greens except they only need a very short cooking time. Ten seconds to wilt them is great and you get the most of their flavor. Like you say they are full of nutrients.
You don't need gloves to pick them, just a firm grasp which breks the small stinging tines. It's when you try to pick them gently that you get stung. Also the sting is good for your hands if they are sore or arthritic.
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When I saw the heading of this thread my first thought was "ouch". Reaction to nettles is very individual. I brushed up against some once in England and my lower leg was covered in fine blisters for over a week - it was extremely painful, even after being rubbed with dock immediately.
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Agreed - they are really nasty to touch, and believe me I have touched my share, as have my kids. I'd never dare to pick them barehanded, despite the advice that it's ok if you do it boldly. I just know that the side of my hand would brush up against some part of the plant and I'd suffer for days.
BUT cooking totally destroys the prickles. Totally. I steamed them briefly which wilted the nettles and defused their stingers. When I tasted them at this point they were a bit furry, but not really unpleasant. However, cooked in the risotto the flavour mellowed and the fur disappeared. If you can't beat em, eat em!
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Are the stinging nettles in the US the same as the ones in Europe? The ones where I grew up in the Midwest were mildly irritating. But when I touched one here it Spain it hurt as if I had been stung by 10 bees all at once. It took several days for the pain to go away and over a week for it to stop tingling. The plant didn't look exactly the same--must be different varieties...
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To be honest, I'm not sure about that. The only ones I've encountered are here in Ontario. However, I do think that different strains of the plant might have different kinds of stingers. I believe they can all be used the same way.
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If the nettles gently touch my arm or leg it is mildly annoying. But if I run through nettles or grab them I have no problems. I pick the young top 6 inches by hand just grabbing them and plucking. I think mild violence is the key with nettles. I guess that I haven't run into really painful ones or I don't react to them much which is surprising, since if I can have a reaction to something I invariably do.
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I've actually heard this before but I was not bold enough to try it personally. The gardening gloves work for me.
So what do you do with your nettles?
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Sorry - just read your earlier post. You've already told me! Thanks.
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Your risotto sounds delicious; nettles seem like a great partner with starches like rice and pasta. Mario Batali has a recipe for stinging nettle tagliatelle w/sausage, kale, and pecorino that sounds fab as well.
I had my first (cautious) brush with nettles around St. Patty's Day making a very nice soup. It retained quite a bit of its artichoke-meets-leafy green flavor when pureed with potatoes and other veggies.
Like you I used tongs to great effect pre-cooking and was amazed at how heat destroyed those pesky stingers.
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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That's a great description of the taste - artichoke meets leafy greens. I was trying to think of a way to explain the flavour, but couldn't come up with anything more appetizing than weedy. Which doesn't really do it justice.
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Nyleve, Now you can start cleaning and preparing your own Puffer Fish!
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Dock leaves rubbed on stung areas will nullify the pain. Dock is very acidic sort of like chard and rhubarb. Don't know if it is edible too. Anyone?
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My favorite subject, foraging for edible and medicinal plants. I used to live out in the wilderness as a guide / instructor for more than 100 days a year for almost ten years so this was more than a hobby, it was a way of life.
All forms of Dock are edible the best tasting are Curled or Yellow Dock. The young greens are like dandelion and can be used as a salad green. Young and older leaves can be cooked like any green. If they are bitter you put them through several changes of water. They are high in protein and vitamin A.
The root is used as a medicinal for many different problems, large doses can cause diarrhea, but small doses relieve it. It is also a good antifungal wash to cure skin problems and ringworm. Can be used for liver problems and many other things.
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