Name: The Anytime Risotto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: PT-493882H52M36S
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 leek rinsed and finely chopped; 150g white or brown mushrooms, sliced; 1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped; 3/4 cup aborio rice; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock; 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into small pieces; 1/2 cup frozen peas (we prefer baby peas as they add a lovely sweetness); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1 tbsp butter (we prefer unsalted for this recipe); 1/4 cup parmigiano regiano (parmesan) cheese (or we also use Grana Padano); Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste; finely chopped parsley for garnishing (optional)

Description

A good risotto has a way of making any day feel just that little bit more special. This one is simple and easy to love, with leeks, mushrooms and peas. You can modify it to your taste, as this is a versatile base that starts with just a handful of simple, quality ingredients.

This recipe serves 2 (generously) as a main, or 4 as a side.

Instructions

Heat the stock in a saucepan over medium heat to bring to a gentle boil. Then turn the heat down to a simmer
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large saucepan, add the mushrooms and fry over medium to high heat until golden (approx. 5-7min). Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to rest.
In the same saucepan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and gently saute till translucent (approx 3 min, being careful not to burn them)
Once leek and garlic is translucent, add rice and continually stir for 1-2 min to coat each grain. This process is called ‘tostatura‘ (toasting) and is an important step in providing the nutty flavour and creamy texture to the finished risotto.
Add the dry white wine to the hot pan to deglaze the rice. Stir through until it is fully evaporated and the aroma of the wine disappears. This process is called ‘sfumatura‘
Add one ladle at a time of the broth to the pan and stir until fully absorbed. Continue this process one ladle at a time until all of the broth is absorbed and the rice moves in a nice ‘wave’ through the pan when you run your spoon through it. The texture of the rice should be slightly chewy but creamy. This process takes approx. 20 minutes
Add the aspragus and peas and stir through till just cooked. Don’t overcook the vegetables. You want them to remain their vibrancy of colour and texture. Approx 3-5 min
Add the mushrooms back to the pan and gently stir through to combine.
Remove pan from heat and immediately stir through the butter and cheese to get a creamy consistency
Season with salt and pepper to taste and the squeeze of lemon juice
Let the risotto rest for a couple of minutes so all of the flavours blend together.
Serve with a light drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped parsley to finish

Notes

Always ensure your broth is warm before it is added to the pan
It’s important to stir your rice with each ladle, but no need to over stir continuously as this can make the risotto feel ‘gluggy’ as it releases too much starch
If your risotto feels too dry, add a little more (heated) stock to the pan and stir gently to loosen
If the risotto is sticking to the bottom of the pan, turn the heat down slightly and continue stirring to loosen
This base recipe is incredibly versatile – ie. you can add roasted pumpkin instead of mushrooms, substitute the leek for onion, add diced bacon or pancetta etc. Once you know the basics of a good risotto, you can modify it to suit!
If you don’t wish to use wine, you can substitute with a little bit of lemon juice at this stage of the cooking process (to provide the acidity required), or alternatively you could use a non-alcoholic white wine.

The Anytime Risotto