Cook In Venice published in Uk Media

Cook In Venice in the media in the UK

2016 started with great news.  The English Garden Magazine published one of our recipes in their March 2016 issue.

The English Garden Magazine published Cook In Venice’s recipes

The English Garden Magazine published Cook In Venice’s recipes

The article was talking about Bruscandoli, in Uk known as Hop shoots.

In our region it is a common wild plant which grows during Spring season. From March to May you can always spot people in the middle of fields and by the riverbanks foraging for this wild plant. We prepare many recipes with it: risottos, soups, sauces.

What are Bruscandoli?

The bruscandoli are the sprouts of wild hops (Humulus lupulus L.), often known as wild asparagine because they resemble wild asparagus.

They have a length of about 20 cm and are collected in the spring, between March and May in the banks of rivers, among the brambles and bushes.

Hop shoots are usually known because they are used to make beer, but in reality they have been used since ancient times in Chinese medicine as a digestive remedy and for the treatment of dysentery and various intestinal disorders.

The hop shoots are low-calorie, a bruscandoli bunch contains just 10 kcal.

The bruscandoli have invigorating, refreshing, diuretic and laxative properties. They are also considered good for purifying the blood, stimulating liver function and as sedatives. They reduce cellulite, provided they are cooked with little fat.

You can use the tops, the leaves, and optionally also the stalk, cut into small pieces – they are great for omelettes, while the toughest stems will be removed.

Here below is our recipe, the same one which was featured in The English Garden Magazine.

Risotto di bruscandoli (Hop Shoots Risotto)

Bruscandoli or hop shoots

Ingredients:

a big bunch of bruscandoli (hop shoots) about 300 gr,

300 gr. Rice Vialone Nano or Arborio,

½ an onion,

a glass of dry white wine,

1 lt. vegetable Broth,

a bit of butter, olive oil.

• First of all rinse and chop in small pieces the hop shoots. Then sauté for few minutes in a large pan with a little bit of oil. Remove from eat.

Cooked bruscandoli

• Now place the butter in a sauce pan and melt it.
• Add the rice, toast it for a minute until it becomes translucent, add the glass of wine and let evaporate.
• Add the shoots and a ladle of the broth.
• Stir and slowly start adding the broth waiting every time for it to be absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring the rice until it is cooked through.
• Turn the heat off, add a little bit of butter and a good spoonful of Parmisan.
• Cover with a dry cloth and the lid.
• Allow to rest for 5 minutes (the cloth will trap the steam and give you a nice glossy rice).

Risotto di bruscandoli

• Serve hot. This risotto must not be dry, but at the contrary quite smooth.