Get ready for the Sting!
It’s end of April & I have just found my first patch of stinging nettles. Bear in mind I live 1550m above sea level deep in the French Alps so I usually get things a little late here or not at all ????
Anyway I’m going to show you how to get your revenge on these lovely, but stingy, green edibles, by making this fabulously tasty Stinging Nettle pesto.
Stinging nettles add a lovely sweet earthy flavour to any pesto dish, and it’s super easy to prepare. All you really need, and unless you’re super tough it’s essential, is a thick pair of gloves.
For the Pesto:
100g freshly picked stinging nettles (Make sure your gloves are on!)
1tbs sea salt
30g walnuts
50 to 80g extra vergin olive oil
10g freshley grated Parmesan
1 clove of garlic
Ok here we go! Wash your nettles in cold water and carefully strain them. By doing this it gets rid of any dirt or other bits we don’t want in the pesto.
Then bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and blanch the nettles for 1 minute. After a minute of boiling strain and refresh the nettles in iced cold water, just like you would with spinach or herbs. Squeeze the nettles so they are as dry as possible. Place the cooked nettles with the rest of the ingredients together and blend in a blender or hand blender.
If you like your pesto more runny, add more olive oil. Season to taste and enjoy with all the things you would usually use pesto with.
Bon appétit.
Matt Gojevic is the inspiration behind Matty G Cooks.
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