Wild garlic is one of Nature’s most delicious foods, says chef Caroline Gent, who serves up one of her favourite dishes – nettle and wild garlic risotto
Wild garlic and nettle is the basis of this delicious risotto, which we serve to vegetarians at weddings. Sitting inside a roasted butternut squash (cooked with olive oil, garlic and rosemary) it looks quite magnificent.
Nettle and wild garlic risotto
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
For two people for a main course, up to four for a starter
Ingredients
1 desertspoon oil, or butter
200ml risotto rice (measure in a jug)
1 onion, finely chopped
700ml stock, heated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
small glass of white wine (or any left over scraps – failing that, use a little lemon juice)
1 small leek, finely chopped
small bunch of wild garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Nettle tops from about 15-20 plants. Pull off the leaves and wash them in cold water. Squeeze dry and chop roughly.
a few sprigs of mint if available
grated or shaved pecorino or parmesan
Instructions
1 In a good-sized saucepan, gently fry the onion in the oil until it starts to soften. Add in the garlic and fry for another minute or two. Then pour in the risotto rice and stir to coat the grains with oil.
2 Add the white wine or lemon juice and black pepper to the rice mixture and pour in one ladle of hot stock. The rice will slowly absorb the stock. Stir constantly and when it is looking almost dry, add in another ladle of hot stock. Keep slowly ladling in the stock until it has all gone, by which time the rice should be perfectly cooked. This can take 15-20 minutes so don’t leave the stove and keep stirring!
3 Throw in the chopped leek and mix through for a minute or two, then add the nettles and wild garlic, and mint if using. Cook through for a minute or two and take off the heat.
4 Dish up and scatter the grated cheese over the top.
5 If you are doing this for a party or as a vegetarian option for a wedding, roast large slices of butternut squash with olive oil, and rosemary and black pepper, and then pile the risotto over the top and finish with the cheese. This can be made a day in advance, and then reheated covered in foil on the day.
For more information visit Caroline Gent
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