Nettle risotto is a spring/summer dish, the best time of year for gathering wild herbs and flowers that decorate and embellish the plate.

Nettle risotto ingredients (serves 1)

80 g Carnaroli rice
50 ml Ferrari Perlé Trentodoc
50 ml mountain cream
1 bunch of nettles
½ carrot
1 stick of celery
1 shallot
15 g Trentingrana
20 g butter
mix of edible flowers (roses, borage, carnations, marigolds, nasturtium leaves)
salt

Method

Start the vegetable stock by simmering two litres of water with the carrot, celery, half a shallot and a pinch of salt. Wash the nettles, strip the leaves and cook them for 1 minute in salted water, then drain and cool them immediately in iced water.

After two minutes, drain them again, squeeze out the excess water and pound them in a mortar until you obtain a smooth purée. In a small pan, gently sauté the sliced half shallot in a drizzle of oil for a few moments, deglaze with 30 ml of Ferrari Perlé Trentodoc, allow the alcohol to evaporate and pour in the mountain cream. Reduce the liquid by 70 per cent and strain through a sieve.

Wash, dry and prepare the flowers for plating. Trim the nasturtium leaves and rose petals into rounds.

In a saucepan, toast the rice dry, heating the grains evenly, season lightly with salt and deglaze with the remaining wine, allow the alcohol to evaporate and add the hot vegetable stock, then cook the rice over a medium-high heat for 12 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the nettle purée, Trentingrana and butter to finish.

Spread the rice on a flat plate, pour the Trentodoc sauce over the rice and finish with the wild flower petals. Serve immediately.