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Nettle Salad with Egg and Dill – Recipe and Preparation
Instructions
Rinse the stinging nettle leaves under cold running water, holding them by the stems so as not to get stung – I work in thin gloves or use a thick towel. With sharp scissors I cut the leaves off the stems and place them in a heatproof bowl of at least 1 litre. I pour boiling water over the leaves (about 500 ml) – the high temperature breaks down the formic acid in the stinging hairs, and the nettle stops "stinging". Leave for 5–7 minutes, then tip into a fine sieve and press out the excess moisture with a spoon – wet nettle would make the salad watery.
Peel the boiled eggs and cut them into small cubes about 1 cm in size – this size is ideal for distributing them evenly through the salad. The eggs should be hard-boiled (10 minutes after the water comes to the boil) and fully cooled, otherwise the yolk will crumble and stick to the knife when you cut them.
Finely chop the prepared nettle leaves with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors – into strips about 5 mm wide. Add the chopped nettle to the eggs in the salad bowl. This order matters: first the eggs, then the greens – that way it is easier to keep the proportions right and to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Shred the feathers of the pungent green onion (with a sharp blade).
Add the dill to the preparation, having first chopped it finely with a thin knife blade. Sprinkle the mixture with table salt or Himalayan salt.
Add the organic sauce or sour cream to the bowl with the green mixture.
Thoroughly combine all the components with a wooden or silicone spatula, lifting the mixture up from the bottom – this way the sauce is distributed evenly without bruising the delicate nettle leaves. Let the salad rest for 10–15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving – during this time the flavours come together and the salad becomes more fragrant. Serve in individual plates, garnished with a sprig of dill.
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