Taking the Sting out of Nettles
“Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.”
--William Shakespeare, Henry IV, part 1.
I was taken foraging on my first full day in Alaska. Looking back now, it seems obvious and f...
Last year, I found myself eating far too many packages of kale chips, which led me to experiment with creating a foraged version. Here’s a wild-foods take on packaged chips, these are a bit more delicate, but just as addictive to snack on.
Ingredients
- One gallon plastic bag filled loosely with nettle leaves
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sort, wash, and thoroughly dry nettle leaves using a salad spinner if possible. Remove the stems.
In a bowl, toss nettle leaves with oil, salt, nutritional yeast, and paprika.
Spread nettle leaves in a single layer--no overlapping--on the baking sheet. This is a key step, because it allows them to crisp. Bake in multiple batches if necessary.
Bake for 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, bake for 5 more minutes. Leaves will darken, but should not burn. Store in a cool dry place.
First published in the Spring 2017 issue of Edible Alaska.
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