a green “freaky-table” style dessert

This is a story about a classic Italian dessert that I revisited in a "freaky-table" style.
Attracted by the color first and then by the properties of nettles, I decided to mess a bit around and make my own green Panna Cotta!

Panna cotta is a very popular Italian dessert I am not crazy about because I am used to seeing isinglass sheets – an indispensable ingredient that nevertheless can be substituted by vegetal products – in my parents' ateliers, where it is used as a binder to make paints... and this worries me a little.
I give it a try anyway, several times actually… but whenever I tried to make it following the traditional recipe in the end I was never satisfied. I don't know why but I always found it "boring" until I got this crazy idea to add nettles to it.  
I found out that adding nettles was a brilliant twist, not only for aesthetic reasons – the color is just amazing – but also because the taste reminds me of pistachios.

Apart from inviting you to try this recipe out because it’s really good (and funny to make!), I would also remind you to pick only nettles that grow in protected places and possibly away from busy roads. The best season for this harvest generally is spring, when nettles are still small and tender.

PANNACOTTA WITH NETTLES

Ingredients:

Serves 4 - small portions

• 250 ml fresh cream

• 150 g of boiled and squeezed nettles

• 1 isinglass sheet (5g)

• 4 tbsp icing sugar

• The zest of one untreated organic lemon

• 20 g chopped pistachios

Instructions:

1. Cut the isinglass sheet (you can substitute it with agar-agar) into pieces and let it soak in cold water for 10 minutes.

2. Wash the nettles wearing gloves. Boil the quantity of water you need to boil them in a big pot, then pour them into the water as soon as it reaches boiling point and cook them for 5 minutes. Drain the nettles and let them chill.

3. Squeeze boiled nettles as much as possible and whisk them by using an immersion blender, until you obtain a dense mixture.

4. Whip the mixture with cream, icing sugar, and grated lemon peel in a small pot.

5. Place the small pot on low heat and continue mixing without reaching boiling point.

6. Squeeze isinglass and add it to the mixture, cooking it until the isinglass has completely melted.

7. Pour the hot mixture into small cups and let it chill for at least one hour, before placing it in the fridge to stiffen for at least 3 hours.

8. When it’s stiff, garnish it with grained pistachios.