Spring Vegetable Risotto

OK, this was only half spring vegetable risotto, as I cheated and used frozen peas and broad beans.  But the asparagus was freshly picked (in the rain) this afternoon by hubby, and I used beautiful fresh sweet young carrots from Riverford.  It is made in the usual way - saute a finely diced onion in a good knob of butter with a whole head of finely chopped wet garlic (much milder than maincrop, don't panic!).  Add a cup of risotto rice (I like arborio for this) and saute for another minute or two, then add 3 or 4 tablespoons of white vermouth or white wine and the finely grated zest of a lemon.  Once this is absorbed, start adding warm veg stock (Marigold is fine) in the usual way.  I cooked the veg separately and added them in with the final bit of veg stock about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time (I slipped the grey skins off the broad beans first).  Then, whilst still a little all'onda or 'with waves' as the Italians so romantically phrase it, stir in another knob of butter, the juice of half the zested lemon and a good handful of grated Parmesan, cover with a lid and leave to settle for a minute or two - what the Italians called mantecare or 'mounting' the risotto.  Serve in warm plates or bowls with more Parmesan on top, pour a glass of something cool and white (no, NOT a glass of milk) and settle down to watch 'The Great British Menu' on The Beeb.

Borlotti Bean, Prosciutto and Rosemary Risotto

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from his very first book (The Naked Chef), and one I've cooked fairly regularly.  I have several of Jamie's books but don't really use them much - I can't think why, other than that his recipes seem to use vast quantities of oil, and can be a bit slap-dash.  Perhaps I should give him another chance?  Anyway, this is a fairly classic risotto recipe, and although it isn't terribly pretty, the texture and deep savoury notes are wonderful.  I added some cubes of roasted butternut squash before serving, to boost our veggie intake and to find yet another use for the endless stores of the stuff we have in the house!  It consists of the usual sauteed onion in a little oil and butter, a couple of slices of Parma Ham, chopped, and a good sprig of fresh rosemary needles, finely chopped.  After turning the rice in the buttery juices, a good glug of Noilly Prat vermouth is added (you could use white wine also) and then veg or chicken stock is added bit by bit in the usual way.  At the last addition of stock, stir in a tin of drained and rinsed borlotti beans - I use Cirio brand.  'Mount' the rice at the end with a little extra butter and some grated parmesan, and then add some cooked butternut, if liked - entirely optional - or maybe some frozen peas at the same time as the beans.  If you have leftovers, cool, refrigerate, and then squidge into little patties, dip in flour, and saute for a few minutes until crisp and heated through.  Almost as delish as the orignal dish.

Risotto of Butternut Squash and Chorizo

So cold in Oxfordshire tonight!  At least we don't have snow, but temperatures are forecast to drop to -3C and possibly -10C with wind chill factored in.  So strange for this time of year.  There is a real need for warming carbohydrate, and a bowl of piping hot risotto hits the mark.  Made the usual way, but with some finely-chopped celery along with the onion, and some fresh sage half-way through.  At the end, I stirred through chunks of sweet roasted butternut squash and freshly grated parmesan, along with some cubes of sauteed cooking chorizo.  Warming, filling, and another butternut squash bites the dust!  However, another one arrived in the veg box today.  Doh!

Red Wine and Radicchio Risotto

Well, now, this is never going to be the best looking dish on the block, but it was deeply savoury and umami-ish.  We had some wonderful Treviso radicchio delivered in the Riverford box last week, which we used as a pasta sauce on Monday with bacon, a little cream, onion, garlic and sage.  Scrummy!  This used similar flavours - some chopped pancetta, a red onion, the shredded radicchio, sauteed in oil and butter and a good splosh of red wine (red vermouth in our case) along with some chicken stock.  I kept the risotto quite soupy this time, as I felt the texture of the radicchio needed this, somehow.  Finished at the end with another knob of butter and some parmesan, it was just delicious, just a slightly murky colour.  Radicchio is quite an addictive flavour!

Ham, Leek and Courgette Risotto

I love making risotto, although I know a lot of people panic about it. I actually find the process of stirring for 20 minutes or so to be therapeutic - you can veg out and stare into space, waking up in time to add the next ladle-full of stock. No surprises in this recipe - sweat finely chopped leeks in butter, add your rice and fry gently for a few minutes. Add a good splosh of white wine or (my favourite) white vermouth. Now add some finely chopped courgettes and start adding hot vegetable stock, stirring whilst it is absorbed. At the end, I stirred in a little chopped cooked ham, a little more butter and some grated Parmesan - what the Italians call mantecare or mounting the risotto. Put a lid on, and allow to settle for a minute or two. The final texture is your choice - again, the Italians have a word - all'onda or with waves, so it should have some moisture to it.

Baked Chicken, Lemon and Pea Risotto [#209]

The first challenge recipe from Donna Hay - another brilliant Aussie cook. The main challenge with Donna was choosing which book to major on (they are all great - stylish, imaginative and simple) and then which recipes to select (ditto). I settled on this one with slight trepidation, as previous attempts at other recipes for baked risotto produced results akin to savoury rice pudding....hmm. However, Donna's recipe was much more successful - leeks, risotto rice, lemon zest and juice, frozen peas and chunks of chicken - leftover from a roast last night. At the end, the interesting addition of chopped mint stirred in with Parmesan took it off in an unusual and tasty new direction, with nice al dente rice, and not at all puddingy. The reason the texture was better than other attempts was, I think, down to a higher stock to rice ratio than usual - about 1.5x stock to rice. Really nice recipe, and we'll make it again!

Asparagus and Lemon Risotto [#67]

A quick glance at the index of The Kitchen Diaries shows that lemon is by far and away the most dominant flavouring in Nigel's life (followed fairly closely by garlic and mustard, often used together). The use of lemon in this recipe (albeit just 1 lemon instead of the suggested 2) lifted the flavours into something different from the version of asparagus risotto we make week in, week out at this time of year. I tinkered - of course! - and added a little chopped, smoky pancetta. It is a shame that Nigel has just one asparagus recipe in The Diaries, as we gorge ourselves on it at this time of year, being lucky in having the fantastic Rectory Farm pick-your-own a short hop away - the winners of the Pick-Your-Own of the Year Award 2008. Check out their website for the announcement of the start of the asparagus season, and you'll save loads on this most delicious of seasonal treats. Until then, we are making do with Herefordshire asparagus from Marks and Sparks - still good though!

Taleggio and Parsley Risotto Cakes

Made Roast Butternut Squash Risotto last night (not Nigel's), and deliberately made extra in order to tackle these little delights from the November section of Diaries. You can find the full recipe here from Nigel's Grauniad column. As usual, I varied it a little - I added a couple of slices of parma ham, whizzed in the food processor. I fried the cakes for just a minute or so on each side and then finished them off on a parchment-lined tray in the mini-oven, and seved with a garlic and oregano-laced tomato sauce and rocket salad. Be warned, the cheese oozes out and the cakes collapse a little, but who cares? They went down very nicely with a bottle of Pinot Grigio.