A Spring Tradition in Romania

Nettles with Polenta, Urzici cu Mămăligă

Welcome to Recipes and Stories from Eastern Europe. I'm Irina Georgescu, a James Beard award-winning author specialising in Eastern European cuisine. My newsletter offers free recipes and travel inspiration from this part of Europe, including Romania and Transylvania, where I’m from. You can support this free publication by purchasing my books, available in bookstores and online worldwide: 'Carpathia', 'Tava' and 'Danube'* Thank you.

In Romania, I cherished a wonderful spring tradition so much while living there that I brought it with me to the UK. Every year, I gather nettles to prepare a traditional dish called urzici cu mămăligă, or nettles with polenta. In the UK, nettles are just as plentiful, and I'd love for you to join me in making this tradition a part of your life as well. There’s a good reason for it: nettles are richer in vitamins than both spinach and broccoli, and they contain an impressive amount of iron, making them the richest plant-based source of this essential mineral.

So here is what I do to harness their power in Spring.

When to pick nettles

From February to April, the young, tender leaves of nettles burst with all the energy that nature pours into them. There's nothing else quite like them: easily recognisable, abundant, and absolutely free to gather. A free booster of Vitamin C and Iron.

How to pick them

I know that they may appear a bit intimidating and, let's be honest, they get ready to sting even if I glance at them. But instead of letting that hold me back, I arm myself with a pair of gloves and some scissors and get to work. I snip off the top leaves while avoiding the stalk as much as possible- this will save me some extra work later. Then, I pop them in a bag one by one and take them home.

What follows below is a sort of recipe: I'll share the cooking method with you instead of specific quantities since I'm not sure how much you'll pick. This way, you can use the method for any amount.

Stage 1: Cold water in the sink

I fill the kitchen sink with cold water and submerge all the nettles, using my hands, still wearing gloves, or using a wooden spoon with a long handle. They need to soak in there for about 10 minutes.

Stage 2: Blanching

I boil some water in a large pan, and using a pair of tongs, I lift some of the nettles from the sink into the pan. They need to cook for 5 minutes, and then be transferred into a bowl using either the same tongs or a slotted spoon. I repeat this process with the remaining nettles in the same water, which will result in a super concentrated nettle tea after this stage is complete.

Nettle tea

I digress a little here by saying that drinking this nettle tea is the best thing you could do for yourself this Spring. I usually save what I can’t drink in the fridge and have a cup in the morning on an empty stomach and again throughout the day until I finish it.

It also works wonders for your hair. Use it at the end instead of conditioner for healthy and shiny hair.

Stage 3: Chop

After the blanched nettles cool a little, I chop them finely before moving to the next stage. Look at this vivid green.

Stage 4: The garlic

While the oil is heating in a sauté pan, I peel the garlic - I'll give you an idea of the quantities: I use 1 medium garlic clove for every 100g of blanched nettles. However, if this is your first time cooking this dish, start with 1 clove for 200g and then add more if needed.

I grate half of the garlic and sauté it over medium heat for one minute, then add the nettles. I add some nettle stock or tea to the pot, just enough to provide sufficient liquid for simmering. At this point, I also include the remaining garlic, thinly sliced. Some people also add garlic at the end of cooking for an extra burst of flavour.

If the juices in the pan reduce too quickly, I add a little more from the reserved blanching water. The process is similar to making a risotto. I cook the nettles until soft, which takes about 15 minutes. If the juices don’t reduce, I bring in extra help by mixing in a teaspoon of cornmeal, cooking for 2-3 minutes, and then adding more if necessary. I taste and season with salt.

Stage 5: Make a polenta and serve

When the nettles are done, I make a polenta using 1 part cornmeal and 4 parts water, simmering it over low heat until the cornmeal is cooked. Then, I add a knob of butter, which makes it glossy and rich like velvet. Now, it’s time to transfer it onto a plate and spoon the nettles on top.

Then, I boil or fry some eggs.

I place the platter on the table and make myself a little portion in a shallow dish:

Bon appetit. Poftă bună.

*Where to buy ‘Danube’

The book is available anywhere in the world, just google it so you can get the nearest option to you and the best value for money. In the UK: Waterstones, Bookshop.org, Hive, and Amazon. In the U.S.: Barnes and Noble, Omnivore Books, Kitchen Arts and Letters, Book Larder, and Amazon. In Canada: Indigo. In Australia: Booktopia. In Romania: Librăriile Cărturești.

The next post will be about Easter, so be sure to subscribe to read about how we celebrate Easter in Romania and to get the recipe for our famous Pască.