Stinging Nettle and Cream Cheese Blintzes with Wild Garlic Oil

Ingredients

• ▸200g fresh stinging nettle tops (young leaves only), picked with gloves
• ▸250g full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• ▸100g Quark or full-fat Greek yogurt
• ▸1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• ▸1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ▸0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ▸0.75 tsp fine sea salt, divided
• ▸0.25 tsp white pepper, freshly ground
• ▸2 large eggs, for blintz batter
• ▸1 egg yolk, for blintz batter
• ▸240ml whole milk
• ▸60ml sparkling water
• ▸120g all-purpose flour
• ▸1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• ▸1 pinch fine salt, for batter
• ▸60ml good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• ▸40g fresh wild garlic leaves (Bärlauch), roughly torn
• ▸1 small garlic clove, minced
• ▸1 pinch flaky sea salt, for finishing
• ▸1 tbsp cold unsalted butter, for pan-frying blintzes
• ▸Crème fraîche and lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   1. HANDLE YOUR NETTLES SAFELY: Wearing kitchen gloves, pick over the nettle tops and discard any thick stems. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the nettles for 90 seconds — the sting is completely neutralized by heat. Drain immediately and plunge into ice water to preserve the vivid green color. Once cool, squeeze out every drop of water with your hands, then finely chop the nettles. You should have about 80g of dense, dark green paste.

2. 2

   2. MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, Quark, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutmeg, 0.5 tsp salt, and white pepper. Beat together with a fork until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the chopped nettles until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be bright, savory, and faintly grassy. Cover and refrigerate while you make the batter.

3. 3

   3. MAKE THE BLINTZ BATTER: In a blender or large bowl, combine the 2 whole eggs, egg yolk, milk, sparkling water, flour, melted butter, and pinch of salt. Blitz or whisk until completely smooth with no lumps. The sparkling water gives the crêpes a slightly lighter, more tender texture. Rest the batter for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.

4. 4

   4. COOK THE CRÊPES: Heat a 20–22cm non-stick or well-seasoned crêpe pan over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Pour in about 60ml of batter, swirling immediately to coat the pan in a thin, even layer. Cook for 60–75 seconds until the edges look dry and lacy and the underside is pale gold. Flip and cook 20 seconds more — this second side is the inside, so it stays pale. Slide onto a plate and repeat, stacking crêpes with parchment squares between them. You should get 8–10 crêpes.

5. 5

   5. MAKE THE WILD GARLIC OIL: Combine the torn wild garlic leaves, minced garlic clove, and olive oil in a small blender or use an immersion blender in a tall cup. Blitz for 30–45 seconds until you have a vivid, intensely green, fragrant oil. Season with a pinch of flaky salt. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you want a cleaner drizzle, or leave it chunky for more punch. Set aside.

6. 6

   6. FILL AND FOLD THE BLINTZES: Lay one crêpe flat, pale side up. Spoon about 2 generous tablespoons of the nettle-cream cheese filling in a log shape slightly below the center. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll up snugly like a small burrito. Repeat with remaining crêpes and filling. You should have 8 blintzes.

7. 7

   7. PAN-FRY THE BLINTZES: In a large non-stick skillet, melt 1 tbsp cold butter over medium heat until foaming. Place blintzes seam-side down in the pan — work in batches to avoid crowding. Fry for 2–3 minutes until deep golden brown and slightly crisp, then flip carefully and fry the other side for 2 minutes. The filling will warm through and become molten and creamy. Remove and rest on a warm plate for 1 minute.

8. 8

   8. PLATE AND SERVE: Arrange 2 blintzes per person on warmed plates. Drizzle generously with the wild garlic oil — don't be shy, it's the soul of the dish. Add a small spoonful of crème fraîche on the side and a wedge of lemon. Finish with a crack of black pepper and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately while the filling is still warm and the exterior stays crisp.

Variations

• ◆Swap cream cheese for ricotta and stir a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts into the filling for an Italian-German forest crossover with some actual crunch.
• ◆Add 50g of finely diced hot-smoked trout to the nettle filling before rolling — the smokiness pulls the nettles' mineral quality in a direction that feels intentional rather than accidental.
• ◆Make it vegan by using oat milk and a flax egg in the batter, cashew cream cheese in the filling, and coconut oil instead of butter for frying — the wild garlic oil is already plant-based, so nothing is lost there.