Nettle Risotto has always been one of Il Buco owner Donna Lennard’s favorite risottos and she tries to put this nettle risotto with goat cheese on the menu when stinging nettles are in season in New York in springtime. “With a flavor resting between a vegetable and an herb and a sublime color, they’re like a gutsier, brighter spinach. Here they are the perfect foil for the sweetness of goat cheese,” she writes.
(Reprinted with permission from Il Buco: Stories and Recipes)
Nettle Risotto With Goat Cheese Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 bunches fresh nettles (approximately 1⁄2 pound)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
3 ounces fresh goat cheese
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus additional for finishing
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Method:
While wearing a pair of protective gloves, prepare the nettles by separating the leaves from the stalks. Discard the stalks and set the leaves aside. Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil. Prepare a nice bath by filling a medium bowl with ice and cold water.
Blanch the nettle leaves in the water for 30 seconds to 1 minute until bright green then, using tongs, plunge the leaves into the ice bath. Reserve ½ cup of the nettle cooking water. Once cool, wring out the leaves to remove any excess liquid. Chop finely with a knife and set aside. No need for gloves once nettles cooked.
For the risotto, add olive oil and butter to a large saucepan over medium heat. When butter begins to foam add the onions, stirring as they soften, not allowing them to color, approximately 5 minutes. Gently add the rice, stirring together with the onions, allowing the fat to bind the two together.
Add the wine in a steady stream and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the reserved nettle cooking water, stirring constantly until absorbed. Continue to add ½ cup of water at a time as the rice dries out and plumps up during cooking, stirring all the time. The whole process will take approximately 25 minutes and you will need to add up to another 3-4 cups of water. The rice should remain al dente.
Finally, add the goat cheese and the salt and stir until incorporated. Fold in the nettles. Just before serving, fold in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, to help bind the risotto together. To serve, divide the risotto equally among four plates and serve immediately. Finish with sea salt.