RISOTTO WITH PEAS
Feeds 4
INGREDIENTS
1.2 litres good stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
320g/11½ oz risotto rice
200g/7 oz petits pois
100g/3½ oz Parmesan, finely grated
Sea salt
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
Place the stock in a saucepan and heat until it is just short of boiling. Add the peas to the stock briefly, bring almost to the boil then strain off and set aside in a bowl for later.
In a (flameproof) casserole or other heavy-based pan (which you'll use to make the risotto), melt half the butter and oil and gently fry the onion until soft and translucent a little more than 5 minutes.
Add the rice and fry, stirring, to toast for a couple of minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add all the stock and half a teaspoon of salt. Stir it a few times, then bring to a very gentle simmer, cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes.
Now start to stir the rice, constantly, for about 3 minutes, until the stock is almost absorbed – it should still have a very soft texture. Taste the rice. It should be just cooked but still a bit firm to the bite – this is ‘al dente’. Switch off the heat, add the rest of the butter and half the cheese. Now vigorously beat the butter into the rice for a couple of minutes, stirring furiously – this will need some elbow grease! It will cream up the rice. Stir through the peas, cover and leave to sit for a minute.
Serve with the rest of the cheese, a swirl of olive oil and offer salt and pepper.
PIMP IT
60g smoked streaky bacon, very finely chopped
1 tbs butter
Gently fry your bacon in the butter until only just starting to colour and turn crisp. If everyone is eating it, do this along with the onion at the start. If it is only for some portions, take out the vegetarian portions, then stir through the rest before serving.
VEG IT
100g baby spinach
50ml cream
When you have dipped the peas in the stock, strain out and add 2/3 to a blender along with the baby spinach, cream, half the cheese and half a ladle of stock. Blend till you have a smooth puree.
When the rice is cooked, add the puree along with the butter and heat till very hot, then take off heat and beat as per original recipe. Finally stir in the rest of the peas, allow to sit and heat through for a minute then serve with cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.