2709. STINGING NETTLE and BACON SOUP

serves four


2 small potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1½ pints of vegetable stock
1 big double handful (using gloves) of young nettle leaves (not the stems)
single cream
4 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped up small
oil

 

Add a dash of oil to a heavy saucepan. Fry the bacon bits until they are crispy. Set aside. Add the onion and spuds to the pan. Cook on a medium heat until the onions are soft and the potato is almost cooked. Add the garlic. Fry for a little longer. Meanwhile, chop the nettles up as small as you can get them. Use gloves or they will sting you at this point. Add them to the pan, along with the stock. Bring to the boil slowly and then simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and mash the soup with a potato masher. Then pour into a sieve and mash the pulp with the back of a spoon. Discard any larger bits that won’t fit through the sieve. Season to taste. Dish up into bowls. Sprinkle the bacon bits onto the soup and stir in a spoonful of cream.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Martin Dorey, The Camper Van Cook

2493. DOCK PUDDING with BACON and PORK SAUSAGES

900 grams fresh young dock leaves
200 grams nettles
2 large Spanish onions
water
salt and pepper
1 handful of oatmeal
3 rashers unsmoked rindless bacon
2 good pork sausages
1 knob butter
oil
1 egg

Remove the stalks from the dock leaves and the nettles. Chop the onions. Place the dock leaves with a pinch of salt in a sauce pan with boiling water. Add the onions and nettles and boil for 50 minutes. Add the oatmeal and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain the contents of the pan thoroughly in a colander. Fry the bacon and sausage together in a pan. Once the bacon and sausages are cooked. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Transfer the dock mixture to the bacon frying pan and fry for 5 minutes in a little butter. In a separate pan, fry the egg in a little oil. Serve the sausages, bacon and dock pudding with a fried egg on top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Doris Hirst (two-time winner of World Dock Pudding Competition), Crow Pie: Traditional British Foods and Drinks, c/o Alternative Technology Centre, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 6HJ UK

2486. NETTLE and BACON RISOTTO

about 2.5 liters of young nettle tops loosely packed, washed
2.5 liters of home made vegetable or chicken stock
50 grams butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50 grams home cured smoked bacon, finely chopped
20 grams dried tomatoes
400 grams risotto rice
125ml dry white wine
salt & pepper

To serve:
50 grams butter, cut into cubes and chilled
100 grams finely grated hard cheese such as parmesan or pecorino
a few nettle leaves for garnish, deep fried until crisp

Blanch the nettle tops in plenty of salted boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will help soften them and preserve their glorious green colour.

Drain and refresh the nettles in cold water. Squeeze out excess water and place in a blender and puree.

Melt the first 50 grams of butter in a sauté pan and gently fry the bacon until the fat renders and it's slightly coloured.

Add the onions and garlic and cook gently until softened but not coloured (about 5 minutes). If you need to, add a little more butter or olive oil.

Add the rice and stir around so that it gets coated with the flavoured butter and heats through.

Add the wine, stir and allow to evaporate completely.

Add the warm stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring the mixture constantly over a medium heat. When the liquid is nearly all incorporated, add the next ladleful.

Do this for about 10 minutes, then bring your heat up and add your nettle puree and tomatoes. Mix in well and turn the heat back to medium. The nettle will make things moister so you may not need to add any more liquid from here. Keep stirring for 5 minutes or so until the rice is soft outside and 'al dente' in the middle. You want the risotto moist (not dry but not soupy) at this stage.

Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to rest for up to 5 minutes.

Add your chilled butter cubes and hard cheese and beat it into the risotto. Check taste and season appropriately.

Serve garnished with the deep fried nettle leaves.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Carl Legge, Permaculture, The Sustainability Centre, Droxford Road, East Meon, Hampshire GU32 1HR, March 17, 2011

1927. STINGING NETTLE TART with BACON and PARMESAN

1 recipe tart dough
8 cups fresh nettles (use gloves to remove stems; wash; you should have about 6 cups of leaves)
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
4 thick slices bacon
1 shallot
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt, freshly ground black pepper
a few scrapes of fresh nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the washed nettle leaves (did I mention you should be wearing gloves??) and simmer for a few minutes. You don't want to cook them and mute that green, just deactivate the DEVIL in them. Drain. Pulse in a food processor until chopped, but not pureed. Drain well and squeeze all water from them. Sprinkle on the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Chop the bacon and brown in a large skillet. If there is more than 2 tablespoons of grease, remove some of it. To the bacon and grease, add the shallot. Cook until just short of golden, stir in the nettles and toss around for a minute or two. Remove from heat and cool.

Beat eggs, dairy, cheese, salt and pepper to taste , and a bit of nutmeg.

Press the tart dough into and up the sides of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Spread the cooled nettle and bacon mixture evenly over the tart shell.


Pour in the custard and jostle the pan a bit to even it out. Place on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees until puffy, set, and golden, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving--this tart is more tasty if it's just warm, not blazing hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jennifer, Experience(d) Collector, Seattle, Washington, February 16, 2010

1736. NETTLE SOUP with BACON (CAWL DAANDL POETHION)

leaves from twenty-one young stinging nettle stalks
100 grams salted bacon, finely cubed
1 1/2 liters vegetable or beef stock
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
45 grams chives or onion shoots
salt and black pepper, to taste

Place the stock in a large pan and when boiling add the nettle leaves. Continue to boil for 3 minutes then remove the nettle leaves and process in a food processor (along with the chives) until they form a smooth purée.

Add the bacon to a large pan and fry until they release their fats. Remove the bacon and set aside then add the butter to the pan. When it's melted stir-in the flour until you form a smooth paste. Now add the hot stock a little at a time, stirring well to combine after each addition.

Bring the mixture to a boil and continue boiling until the stock has thickened to your liking. Add the nettle and chive purée and allow to heat through before seasoning to taste. Serve in warmed soup bowls with a sprinkling of the bacon on top. Accompany with a thick slice of warm bread.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Llŷn peninsula, North Wales | Celtnet.org