Foraging Fatayer
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of collaborating with herbalist and creator Deema Alhuqail of AlKamiCare when we spent a sunny Spring day foraging for nettle and wild garlic in the woodlands of Surrey. We exchanged anecdotes about our shared cultures, cooking rituals and more, and occasionally sang and danced along to much-loved musical gems such as Fairuz – a legendary Arabic singer who we’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog. This foraging expedition was borne out of a previous discussion with Deema on the topic of our beloved fatayer sabanekh, where she mused about whether the traditional spinach recipe could be substituted with common nettle, given their similarities in flavour, texture and other properties.
The idea of consuming stinging nettle may take some by surprise. This was certainly the case for us when we first came across the concept several years ago, especially after a childhood spent cursing these rash-inducing plants that had the power to ruin our carefree Spring fun running around and playing in the garden at a moment’s notice. However, these plants can do much more than deliver a painful sting; after the leaves of a stinging nettle have been exposed to hot liquid for a couple of minutes (or very finely chopped in a food processor), their needles and stinging chemicals are neutralised, making them safe to eat. Not just safe – but highly nutritious. Stinging nettles contain a variety of nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, Omega-3, and vitamins A, C and K. Along with the immense pleasure that comes from harvesting wild ingredients from nature for our meals, this was all reason enough to try a modern variation of the tried and tested Fatayer recipe. As we washed, prepared and eventually baked our foraged treasures in their dough encasings, we speculated on what we were about to taste and whether this culinary quest would turn out to be a fool’s errand.
Check out Deema’s takeaways from our collaboration on her blog, where she also discusses some more of (the much maligned) nettle’s skincare and medicinal properties and provides our nettle and wild garlic Fatayer recipe. Here Deema discusses another foraging adventure and recipe with a twist that we undertook the following month: wild garlic muttabal aubergine dip. Spoiler alert: it rocked!
These fears were unfounded: the earthy flavours of the nettle coupled with the distinctive tang of the wild garlic leaves seemed to be a match made in culinary heaven. Though it’s hard to beat the conventional fatayer recipe, this concoction is definitely one we will be trying again next year and for many to come – and we invite you to as well if your curiosity has been piqued! Wild garlic and nettle are plentiful in the Spring season, but be sure to harvest the nettle safely (wearing gloves is the best way to prevent those dreaded stings). And of course, always forage responsibly by making sure you are only picking from areas that have abundant supply and leaving enough for wildlife, while never damaging the natural habitat. As generously as nature gives, we must give back by appreciating and preserving her for future generations.
