Wild Nettle Risotto with Smoked Salmon Broth
Serves 4 - 6
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion, diced (you can also use a shallot)
Sea salt
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
4 - 5 cups smoked salmon broth*, warmed (any flavorful broth will work here)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped processed* nettles
Set a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and onion (or shallot) along with a hefty pinch of salt. Sauté just until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and cook until well covered in the butter and onion and just starting to toast. Give the rice another hearty pinch of salt. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook until no liquid remains.
Stir in the warm broth 1/2 - 1 cup at a time adding more liquid only when the rice has absorbed all the previous addition. Continue stirring and adding the broth until the rice is just tender with a bit of bite - like al dente pasta. The rice shouldn’t be dry. Finished risotto should have a similar consistency to a stew.
Stir in most of the parmesan cheese, reserving some for garnishing. Stir in the nettles then taste and adjust the salt.
Serve right away.
*For the smoked salmon broth I simmered the carcass of a smoked salmon with onion, carrots and celery in water for about three hours. The resulting broth was extremely flavorful.
*To process your freshly foraged nettles, carefully submerge them in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water then immediately shock them in an ice water bath.
Drain and squeeze the nettles to remove excess water then roughly chop by hand or using a food processor. At this point the nettles can be well sealed and frozen to use all throughout the year.