For this combination of charred broccolini and pickled black currant grapes, it’s a case of the fresher the better, so aim to make it just before serving.

Ingredients

250g nettles (about half a bunch, to yield 1⁄2 cup blanched)

2 garlic cloves

40g toasted pine nuts

25g grated Grana Padano

40ml olive oil

Salt, to season

1⁄2 teaspoon whole allspice

6 cloves

1⁄2 teaspoon coriander seeds

6 thin slices fresh ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon mustard seeds

300ml white vinegar

100ml water

150g caster sugar

200g black currant grapes

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bunches broccolini

Salt, to season

Juice of half a lemon

To make the nettle pesto

To protect your hands against the nettles’ sting, use gloves whenhandling the raw nettles. Remove the leaves and discard the stems.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat. Cook the nettles for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and strain the nettles in a colander. Quickly drop the nettles into a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes. Strain through the colander again and dry the nettles in clean kitchen towel, making sure you have removed all the moisture. Now that they have been blanched, they can be handled freely.

Place the blanched nettles, garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture starts to come together, then add the Grana Padano and olive oil and pulse a few more times to combine.

You don’t want to overwork the pesto, so short bursts will keep it from blending too fine. We suggest keeping it quite chunky. Add more oil if it needs to be loosened up a bit. Taste and adjust with salt to your liking.

To make the pickled grapes

Place all the ingredients except the grapes in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and immediately remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Strain the pickling liquid and pour enough of the pickling liquid over the grapes to cover. This will make more than you need for this recipe.

How to cook the broccolini

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the broccolini for about 4 minutes, turning frequently to cook evenly on all sides.

Remove from the heat, season with salt and lemon juice.

Arrange the broccolini on a serving plate, spoon the nettle pesto over the top, then arrange the pickled grapes over the dish (cut a few in half and leave a few whole).