How to cook borage easily and quickly

the borage it is an edible plant which is considered native to Europe and Asia, although its cultivation has spread almost throughout the world.

Both the ancient Greeks and the Romans already knew about it, although It was used more as a medicinal plant. The Romans spread it across northern Europe.

The Celtiberians, in Aragon, in the 2nd century BC. C. already consumed it. In the Middle Ages, the Arabs considered it one of the “four Islamic gastronomic excellences” together with asparagus, aubergines and artichokes.

Today it is a minority crop vegetable. In Spain, the main producer is Aragon, where they are also highly appreciated in their gastronomy, but outside the middle Ebro valley they are much less well known.

It is also consumed in Germany, Greece and northern Italy. In Russia it is used to flavor pickles.

What is borage and properties

The fresh borage is vegetables that look like chard: they have a long stalk and leaves at the tip. The most visible difference, besides color, are the hairs that have both the stems and the leaves. These little hairs don’t prick, they’re not like thistles.

They can be found fresh in markets and flea markets, in Aragon, Navarra or La Rioja. They resemble Swiss chard but are greener in color and the leaves are more downy.

If you can’t find them fresh, in many supermarkets They sell them canned, frozen or canned, already cooked, and they are perfect for cooking.

Borage is harvested before the flower scapes develop, in late autumn and winter. borage preserves they can be found all year round.

Borage is rich in thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6 and contains good amounts of calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and copper.Borages have a high nitrate content, like spinach or chard, so they It is not recommended to give them to children under 1 year of age.

How to clean borage

Before cooking with borage we have to do a little preparation.

The we wash well, We remove the lower part (where the roots would go) and cut just below the leaves. The leaves usually have some tough strands, which are removed in the same way as chard, making a small cut and pulling. The hairs of the stems are not removed because when cooking they become very soft and the texture is not noticeable. Once the hard threads are removed, we can already cut them to taste and use them.The leaves, being thinner and more delicate, will take less time to cook, so we must add them at the end of cooking.

8 ways to cook borage

Borage can be eaten raw without any problem. although the natural texture may be strange to you (because of the hairs or fluff).

Borage is as versatile as chard, spinach or celery and We can use them in any type of preparation.

1. Steamed borage

To enjoy tender borage with all its flavour, cut them into medium pieces and steam them for 8-10 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.

Serve them with a little salt and some sauce if you want, as an accompaniment to any meal.

2. Boiled borage

Instead of boiling them on their own, use them in broths, soups, stews, stews, and stews. For example with chickpeas, lentils or beans. To serve them alone, it is better to steam them, which are tastier.

3. Borage with rice

When you make rice dishes, whether they are pan-fried rice, paellas or risottos, add finer cut borage. They will give both color and flavor and They will slightly thicken the cooking liquid.

4. Baked borage

They are not usually made directly in the oven because they dry out, but we can always make a bechamel sauce to put it on top of the borage cut into medium-small pieces and make a wonderful borage gratin.

6. Fried borage

It is not the best way to make them because they will release a lot of liquid and they will be very soft and oily. Instead what we can do is cook them with very little oil or on the grill, letting them cook and brown, over medium-low heat.

To complement the dish, we can also add sliced ​​tofu or in cubes, spices, etc.

7. Borage in creams and purees

For these preparations it is better to use the leavessince the leaves can leave fibers that are noticeable when eating the cream.

For this youRat the borage leaves the same as those of the spinach and grind it all very well until obtaining a smooth cream. It goes very well with potatoes, leeks, chives, pumpkin, zucchini, etc.

8. Borage in the form of crespillos

You can use the chopped leaves in salads or even in sweets, like the traditional crespillos.

The crespillos are prepared in a similar way to the paparajotes, but with borage leaves. They are washed, coated in batter, fried and sprinkled with sugar on top.