April 2007 | Cooking
Nettle Soufflé
By Jennifer Adler M.S., C.N.
My favorite spring green, hands down, is stinging nettle. It’s nutrient dense, easy to identify and ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest. Nettle is typically found in moist fertile soil, along streambeds, underneath large shady trees or maybe even bordering your garden. When harvesting nettle keep in mind that it has a natural breaking point much like asparagus—the plant will guide you on where to snap off the tender tops. It is delicious when cooked properly so dig out your gloves and find some nettle in your area.
Serves 2–4
Preparation time: 1 hour
4 cups young nettle tops (gather with gloved hands)
1 cup water
1 onion or leek, minced
plenty of good quality sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup nettle broth or milk
1–2 egg yolks, beaten
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
While wearing gloves, place nettle tops into a pot of boiling water for 5–10 minutes. The stinging hairs of the nettle are rendered harmless from the cooking process. Drain well; save broth. Purée nettle in blender or food processor; set aside. Sauté onion with salt in oil until golden. Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Slowly add a 1/2 cup of nettle broth or milk and cook, stirring often until very dry and thick. Add a little of this mixture at a time to the beaten egg yolk, until they are combined. Now stir in nettle purée and salt to taste. Last, carefully fold in egg whites. Put in a soufflé dish, bake at 350 degrees until firm, 30–40 minutes. You can put the soufflé dish in a pan of water to ensure even cooking if you wish.
Adapted by Jennifer Adler from Healing Wise by Susan Weed.
Jennifer Adler M.S., C.N. provides nutrition counseling at her private practice Realize Health, www.realizehealth.com.
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