Barely and Nettles Soup, or Sòpe di Uàrdi e Urtìes: Nettles, as you will know if you have ever put your hand upon one, are urticants, in other words they cause a painful stinging sensation when touched -- their attempt to avoid being eaten by grazing animals. However, if you wear gloves to avoid the stinging and blanch the nettles when you get home, they're very tender and are delicately flavored.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (400 g) fresh nettle sprouts (wear gloves when picking them and until you blanch them after getting them home)
- 1/4 pound (100 g) pearled barley
- 2 ounces (50 g) smoked pancetta, thinly sliced (use either fatty speck or unsmoked pancetta if need be; bacon also has sugar and spices and won't work as a substitute)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- An ounce (30 g) chives, chopped (a couple of tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- A small onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (you may want to increase this, but not too much)
- 2 ounces (about a cup) freshly grated lattiera vecchio, which is a moderately sharp,
- delicate hard cows' milk cheese; if need be substitute with Grana Padana or Montasio
Preparation:
Continuing with the introduction, because boiled nettles are delicately flavored, they make a fine addition to the filling of ravioli, and also work nicely with barley in this minestrone from Friuli. The recipe is from the Carnia region, above Trieste. Given the amount of liquid involved, what you will end up with is more an orzotto than a soup, in other words, it will be fairly firm.
Heat a pot of water, lightly salt it, and set the barley to cook.
In the meantime take the nettles, using gloves lest they sting you, and blanch them in lightly salted water for a few seconds. Drain them well and mince them.
Sauté the pancetta in the oil, and when it begins to brown add the minced chives, the flour, and the nettles; cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes and then stir in the vegetable broth and continue simmering the mixture.
When the barley has cooked for about 20 minutes drain it and stir it into the nettles; dust everything with the grated cheese and serve.
A note: If you don't want to use nettles, you could use baby spinach leaves or chard instead.
Heat a pot of water, lightly salt it, and set the barley to cook.
In the meantime take the nettles, using gloves lest they sting you, and blanch them in lightly salted water for a few seconds. Drain them well and mince them.
Sauté the pancetta in the oil, and when it begins to brown add the minced chives, the flour, and the nettles; cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes and then stir in the vegetable broth and continue simmering the mixture.
When the barley has cooked for about 20 minutes drain it and stir it into the nettles; dust everything with the grated cheese and serve.
A note: If you don't want to use nettles, you could use baby spinach leaves or chard instead.
