Berbere-Grilled New Potatoes with Stinging Nettle Pesto and Charred Spring Peas

Ingredients

• ▸700 g new potatoes (golf-ball size), halved
• ▸3 tbsp berbere spice blend
• ▸3 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
• ▸1 tsp fine sea salt
• ▸200 g fresh stinging nettle tips (top 2–3 leaves only), picked with gloves
• ▸1 cup shelled fresh spring peas (or thawed frozen)
• ▸3 tbsp raw cashews, soaked 2 hours and drained
• ▸2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• ▸1 tbsp tej (Ethiopian honey wine) or dry white wine, vegan-verified
• ▸2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ▸4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for peas
• ▸0.5 tsp black cardamom seeds, lightly crushed
• ▸0.25 tsp ground korarima (Ethiopian cardamom) or green cardamom
• ▸flaky sea salt and fresh lemon zest, to finish

Instructions

1. 1

   1. PARBOIL THE POTATOES: Place halved new potatoes in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook 8–10 minutes until just tender at the tip of a knife but still holding their shape firmly. Drain and let steam-dry on a rack for 5 minutes — this is non-negotiable for a good grill crust.

2. 2

   2. MAKE THE BERBERE SLICK: Whisk together the berbere spice blend, melted coconut oil, and fine sea salt in a large bowl until it smells aggressively good. Toss the parboiled potatoes through the mixture, coating every cut face generously. Let them marinate at room temperature while you prep everything else.

3. 3

   3. TAME THE NETTLES: Bring a small pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Wearing rubber gloves, drop in the nettle tips and blanch for exactly 90 seconds — the sting is completely neutralized by heat. Drain immediately and plunge into an ice bath. Squeeze out as much water as humanly possible with your fists; you want a dense green puck, not a soggy mess.

4. 4

   4. BLEND THE NETTLE PESTO: Add the squeezed nettles, drained cashews, garlic, tej, lemon juice, crushed black cardamom, and korarima to a blender or food processor. Blitz on high, drizzling in the olive oil until you have a vivid, slightly coarse pesto. Taste — it should be grassy, garlicky, and have a faint spiced-wine intrigue. Season with salt and set aside.

5. 5

   5. PREHEAT THE GRILL: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high (around 230°C / 450°F). If using charcoal, let the coals ash over fully for even heat. Oil the grates well with a folded paper towel dipped in neutral oil, held with tongs.

6. 6

   6. GRILL THE POTATOES: Place potatoes cut-side down directly on the grates. Grill without moving for 5–6 minutes until the berbere crust is deeply charred at the edges and releases cleanly. Flip and grill the skin side for 3–4 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and tent loosely with foil.

7. 7

   7. CHAR THE PEAS: Toss the spring peas with a thin drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Place in a grill basket or on a piece of foil with holes punched in it. Grill over high heat for 3–4 minutes, tossing once, until peas are blistered and slightly collapsed in spots but still bright green inside.

8. 8

   8. ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Spread a generous swoosh of nettle pesto across a warm serving platter. Pile the berbere-charred potatoes on top, then scatter the charred peas over everything. Finish with flaky sea salt and a shower of fresh lemon zest. Serve immediately while the contrast between the fiery crust and the cool, grassy pesto is at its most dramatic.

Variations

• ◆BERBERE BUTTER VERSION (not vegan): Replace coconut oil with clarified niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) in the marinade for a richer, more traditional Ethiopian fat profile that amplifies the fenugreek and nigella notes in the berbere.
• ◆NETTLE AND AYIB REMIX: Crumble fresh ayib (Ethiopian fresh cheese) over the finished dish in place of the cashew-based pesto for a tangy, creamy counterpoint — skip if keeping vegan.
• ◆SMOKY MISO BOOST: Stir 1 tsp white miso into the nettle pesto before blending; the glutamates in miso amplify the umami depth of the nettles and create a savory bridge to the spiced potatoes without tasting remotely Japanese.