Pistachio Maritozzi
and a nettle and pecorino risotto
A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about my culinary plans for the Easter weekend. From a nest of cookery books on my sofa, I shared the recipes that I’d earmarked for the holiday, which my brother, father and boyfriend’s unsuspecting family were about to have imposed on them. Given that I didn’t have exclusive rights to the kitchen that weekend, it was an ambitious target, but I’m pleased to now share the results.
I’ve never picked nettles before, but wielding heavy-duty gardening gloves and some serious secateurs, I managed to procure a couple of colanders of it for my promised nettle and pecorino risotto. Whilst I don’t have evidence of the dish beyond a triumphant photo of my lethal leaves (it was a flat, grey day and we ate inside — a recipe for rubbish documentation), I can confirm that it was jolly delicious. If anyone feels bold (and trusting) enough to have a go, I’m sharing the recipe below.
Next up on my hit list was an attempt at the Roman buns, maritozzi. Various curious family members pottered into the kitchen as I was making and shaping my dough, and each and every one of them was taken aback to learn that this was my first attempt. Whether out of awe at my adept dough-shaping skills or horror at my audacity to use said family members as my Easter guinea pigs, I wasn’t sure. Anyway, maritozzi I did make. Leaving the kitchen powdered in a fine dusting of pistachio green, I marched into the garden to source some primroses for decoration. The buns were enjoyed in the sunshine after a wobbly game of croquet on the front lawn (more of an obstacle course of mole hills than a grass court). There was so much cooing over them, in fact, that Oscar’s spaniel, Chilli, made his way onto the table to see what all the fuss was about. Again, the recipe is enclosed below; I reckon you’ll want to try this one.
Last but not least was our Easter Sunday feast. We lathered two giant legs of lamb in a paste of anchovy, rosemary, lemon and wild garlic, poured in a bottle of white wine, sheathed it in tin foil and threw it in the cooling pizza oven for the best part of 5 hours. I served it with crispy, twice-cooked new potatoes, a wild garlic salsa verde and lemony yoghurt, steamed asparagus with burrata and hazelnut and a simple watercress salad. I don’t dare share a recipe for the lamb, because it really was a chuck-it-all-together-and-hope-for-the-best type situation, but I’m sharing some photos nonetheless. (By popular demand I will be sharing the new potato recipe soon though, I promise.)
Nettle and Pecorino Risotto
Serves 8
2 colanders full of nettle leaves (wear gloves!)*
2 large white onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, diced
100g butter
extra virgin olive oil
600g arborio risotto rice
2 glasses of dry white wine
1.5-2 litres of vegetable or chicken stock
pecorino cheese, grated (about 60g, or to taste)
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
*young and tender nettles taste best, so I only cut the tops of the plants for the best leaves
Wearing gloves, remove any stems from the nettles. Soak the leaves in cold water while you start the risotto.
In a wide, heavy-based pan , heat half of the butter and a generous splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Stir in the risotto rice and cook for a couple of minutes.
Drain, pat dry and roughly chop the nettle leaves (again, wearing gloves). Add these to the pan and cook down until they sweat a little, then pour in the white wine and allow to bubble away until mostly evaporated.
Begin adding the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring regularly and allowing each addition to absorb before adding more. Continue for about 15-20 minutes until the rice is creamy but still has a little bite.
Remove from the heat, add the remaining butter, grated pecorino and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and a little extra pecorino.
Pistachio Maritozzi
makes 12 buns
For the leaven:
150ml milk
10g fresh yeast
1 tbsp honey
60g plain flour
For the final dough:
400g strong white bread flour
100g plain flour
10g salt
100g sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
70ml neutral oil, plus extra for oiling
1 lemon, zested
100ml room temp water
To finish:
1 egg, beaten
50g pistachios, shelled
300ml double cream
3 tbsp pistachio cream
2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
For the leaven, warm the milk in a small saucepan until just warm to the touch. Add the yeast, honey, and flour and whisk until smooth.
Cover with clingfilm and set aside for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
For the final dough, in a large mixing bowl combine the flours and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, oil, lemon zest, and water. Whisk to combine.
Once the leaven is bubbly, add it to the oil and egg mixture, then stir the liquids into the flour mixture. Knead into a dough (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook) until smooth. Warning: it will be quite sticky.
Round into a ball and place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size - about 90 minutes (or I did mine overnight in the fridge).
If you’ve left your dough to prove overnight, remove from the fridge and allow to return to room temperature before scraping out onto a lightly oiled surface. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 80g each).
Shape each piece into a neat round, tucking the edges in underneath and using the inside of a clawed hand to mould it into a neater shape on the counter surface. (I watched this YouTube video for shaping tips). Place the balls into a deep baking try lined with parchment, spaced a few inches apart. Cover the tray with clingfilm, ensuring that it doesn’t touch the dough balls, and gives them a little breathing room.
Leave to prove for another 90 minutes, until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C.
Remove the covering and gently brush the buns with the beaten egg. Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden brown and risen.
Using a blender, blitz the pistachios until they resemble a fine green powder. Set a tablespoon aside for decorating.
Whip the double cream to soft peaks and fold in the icing sugar, pistachio cream and powder. Adjust sweetness to taste.
Allow the buns to cool slightly, then cut a deep slit at a slight angle down the middle of each (making sure not to cut all the way through) and fill abundantly with the whipped pistachio cream.
Dab the buns in the remaining pistachio powder and finish with a dusting of icing sugar and edible flower, should you wish (I used primrose).
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the recipe (or the ramblings) I’d love to hear your feedback 💛 and please do share the love using the link below.