Sautéed poppy leaves in the pan are a delicious side dish you can make with ease. You can gather the poppy leaves yourself from uncultivated fields. They are poppy plants, and the best time to gather them is from the end of February until March/April. Poppy leaves, poppy shoots, or poppy tops, are known by various names depending on different parts of Italy and can be used in many tasty recipes, often typical of the region. ‘In the pan’ in Venetian dialect means a pan-fried preparation, which is one of the most well-known ways to cook them, and you can flavor them with guanciale, pancetta, or lard according to your taste. Now let’s see how to make sautéed poppy leaves, and if you try them, let me know. Barbara
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- poppy leaves
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 5.3 oz guanciale (pancetta or lard)
Steps
Let’s start preparing the sautéed poppy leaves in the pan. Clean the poppy leaves by removing the roots, and carefully clean the lower part to remove any soil residue.
Check each leaf and discard any damaged ones. Once cleaned, wash them thoroughly under running water and dry them.Place them into a large pot, add water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Then drain them, let them cool slightly, and squeeze out excess water.
In a large pan, add diced pancetta, set over heat, and let it brown, then add the poppy leaves, a pinch of salt, and some extra virgin olive oil. Let it flavor for about ten minutes, stirring to incorporate all flavors.
Serve the Sautéed Poppy Leaves in the Pan hot.
