with four leaves sauce
Ingredients for 2 people
| Ingredients (for 2 people) |
| For the bread: |
| 300 g rustic bread, stale |
| 4 ut garlic cloves |
| q/s olive oil |
| q/s salt and pepper |
| q/s water |
| For the sauce: |
| 25 g fresh basil leaves |
| 25 g netle leaves |
| 10 g fresh mint |
| 10 g sage |
| 1 ut garlic clove |
| 50 g aged cheese |
| 100 g extra virgin olive oil |
| 50 gr pine nuts (or nuts of choice) |
| q/s salt |
| 1 ut lemon |
| Preparation Cut the stale bread into evenly sized cubes. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with water. Let it sit for 30 minutes to moisten. Meanwhile, blanch the nettles, mint, and sage in boiling salted water. Cool them in ice water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Crush the garlic in a mortar until a paste forms. Add the nuts and crush until integrated into the previous mixture. Add the herbs in parts, along with a pinch of salt, and cover with oil. Mash until you have a smooth, green paste. Set aside. Slice the garlic and heat it in a pan or wide casserole with some oil. Cook over medium heat until golden, then remove the garlic. Add the moistened bread and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the bread is lightly golden and crispy on the outside. In the last minute of cooking, add the juice of 1/2 lemon and two tablespoons of the sauce to the pan, stirring to combine. Serve in the same pan or casserole with a generous spoonful of sauce on top, lemon zest, and fresh herb leaves (sage, mint, basil, and blanched nettle). |
Nettles (Urtica dioica) are an edible wild plant traditionally used in cooking for their cleansing properties and nutritional value—they’re rich in iron, vitamin C, and protein. It’s important to gather clean nettles (away from roads and pollution), select the most tender tops (the upper leaves), and wear gloves when handling them. Nettles only lose their stinging properties when crushed, left to rest for 12 hours, or cooked. Traditional nettle recipes in Spain include soups, purées, sautés, and stews—they can be used much like spinach, but must always be blanched or cooked first.
Migas is one of the most popular traditional dishes in Spain made from leftover bread. Recipes for migas can be paired with meat, fish, vegetables, or even sweet ingredients. It’s important to use stale bread—ideally an artisanal loaf with a firm crumb for the best results.
With a deep passion for learning and a natural flair for creativity, Rais is a chef and pastry chef who is drawn to cooking, pastry, education, creativity, and precision. She has built a career as a pastry chef, baker, cook, executive chef and R+D chef. Her journey has included extraordinary experiences such as contributing to a third Michelin star, playing a key role in a major international opening, providing culinary and creative consulting for a leading gastronomic TV show, teaching in culinary universities, heading a creative department and being part of the core team in some of the world’s top kitchens.
After leading the R+D department in two innovative companies, she is a culinary consultant and food writer, with a summer pop-up restaurant – Molí La Vansa- in Boada, a tiny village in La Noguera, a region in the Catalan pre-Pyrenees, where she is free to cook with whatever grows around her, using the huge culinary tradition as an inspiration.
