Aromatic Spring Nettle Salad with Anchovy Sauce
Spring Nettle Salad: A Taste of Spring
If you always make nettle salad with gochujang, try this version with anchovy sauce for a refreshing and savory flavor! This nettle salad, with its crisp texture and fresh spring aroma, is perfect as a side dish or when you have a lack of appetite.
Main Ingredients- 400g prepared and blanched nettle (blanch until slightly chewy in texture)
Seasoning Ingredients- 2 Tbsp anchovy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- A pinch of toasted sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp anchovy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- A pinch of toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Choosing good quality nettle is important. Either forage it yourself or buy pre-prepared nettle from a trusted source. If you have fresh nettle, wash it thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt or debris. Then, blanch it in boiling water for just 1-2 minutes. Blanching for too long will make it mushy, so the key is to cook it just enough to retain a slight chewiness. (I received pre-prepared and blanched nettle as a gift from a friend.)
Step 2
Place the blanched nettle in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of anchovy sauce. The anchovy sauce balances the slightly bitter taste of the nettle and adds umami. It’s better to start with a smaller amount and adjust to your taste.
Step 3
Now, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and a generous pinch of toasted sesame seeds. Gently mix the ingredients together with your hands, making a ‘crisp’ sound, until the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the nettle. The nettle salad, with its harmony of fresh nettle aroma, savory sesame oil, and sesame seeds, is complete. It’s delicious right away, but letting it sit in the refrigerator for a while will allow the flavors to meld even more beautifully.
