I love risotto, risotto is by far one of my favourite foods ever, the perfect comfort food and always the first thing I look for on a menu when eating out, but no one makes risotto as well as my Husband, even if he does cheat and make every Italian cringe by not ladling in the stock !
What I love about risotto is the versatility, there are so many versions, using so many gorgeous ingredients, I would struggle to choose a favourite, but if I had to, a risotto with lobster in would have to win every time.
Now the basis to every good risotto, what ever the flavour, has to be the starting point and that is a fabulous bianco recipe, a risotto should be smooth and creamy, never stodgy and bursting with flavour. The recipe below is perfect, you can just serve the risotto as a bianco, or add what ever you like, but today I have given you a gorgeous tomato version as our green house is now full of them and I can not think of a nicer way to enjoy them.
I would like to thank a fellow foodie, dog lover and Twitter follower for telling me about this recipe, Claire’s exact words were ‘have you ever tried Jamie’s tomato risotto? it’s total comfort. Best served with a dollop of ricotta on top, wine & a movie’! Well I couldn’t agree more Claire, it was totally divine, it will become a family staple in this house and served with wine and a movie sounds like heaven and the perfect way to spend a chilly autumn evening.
Buon appetito
Serves 4
1 litre organic vegetable stock
Olive Oil
1/2 an onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
300g risotto rice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
125ml white wine
a knob of butter
a large handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pour the stock into a pan and leave on a low heat.
Get a high sided pan, add the olive oil (about 4 tablespoons) and place on a low heat, add the chopped onion and celery. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stir occasionally, until softened, but not coloured, you want them nice and translucent. Turn the heat up to medium, add the rice and a pinch of salt and stir for 2 minutes, so that the rice absorbs up all the flavour and becomes nutty tasting. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed.
Now this is where our household likes to differ, I am old school Italian and add ladle by ladle, Hubby is a throw it all in type of guy, just the thought makes me cringe!!! But here is my way…
Add a ladleful of hot stock, str and wait until it’s been fully absorbed before adding more.
Cook for 16 to 17 minutes, adding more stock every minute or so and stirring regularly, until the rice is al dente.
Take the pan off of the heat, stir in the butter and Parmesan, then season to taste. Now this is your risotto bianco done, you are now free to add what ever flavours you wish, but below is my recipe for tomato and basil risotto….
Olive Oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh basil leaves
Parmesan
extra virgin olive oil to drizzle and ricotta to serve
Heat the olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat.
Add the garlic, and as soon as it starts to colour, add the tomatoes and most of the basil leaves.
Season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and still holding their shape. As you finish your risotto bianco above and are at the point of adding the butter and parmesan, stir in your tomatoes, pop the lid on the pan and leave for 2 minutes. It is that simple, but so delicious.
Serve with some grated parmesan, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few basil leaves for decoration and a good dollop of ricotta.
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