I have eaten risotto of many descriptions during my Italian excursions or cooked by my Italian friends. As simple as it seems, it is not as easy to cook this dish well. That was what I was thinking as I devoured a delicious bowl of steaming risotto by my friend Angela.
As it happen, she has just moved out of London, Autumn had just started, the farmers market started selling all shapes and sizes of mushrooms, and I was in despair for some comfort food. So I made my first ever risotto which I am pleased to share with you here.
As usual, I did not follow any specific recipe (except the rice cooking time) and here’s what I used for my first ever risotto. Feeds 4.
1 finely chopped medium shallot onion
1 tbsp of capers, chopped
a handful of finely chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves chopped
1litre of vegetable stock, salt and pepper
a handful of porcini/chanterelle mushrooms
a spring of chives, chopped to garnish
a pinch of salt and pepper
Add a glug of olive oil to a pan and gently sweat onion, garlic, parsley and a good pinch of freshly grounded pepper.
Once ready, pour gently stock and stir. Add risotto rice to simmering mixture and stir again. Cover with a heavy lid and leave to simmer on a low heat for about 20-25 mins. Keep checking last this could take less time depending on your hob. Stir every so often.
When ready, serve in deep bowls, and garnish with chopped chives or like me, cherry tomatoes and freshly ground rainbow pepper.
They go so well with the flavour of this dish!
style dispenser 