Spring Risotto

Spring Risotto

Any, and all the greens

A risotto is the homemade fast food and beautiful in its simplicity. An accepting dish, making it perfect for this time of year as the hungry gap approaches as green are the staple. All of the kales, the last of the leeks, stir-fry greens, chard and even baby gem lettuce. The key to a good risotto is to love it and nurture it.

Serves as many as you want to make it for

Preparation time: a few moments
Cooking time: 30 minutes… ish…

Ingredients:
An open handful per person of Arborio or carnaroli rice
A good thumb of butter or oil
As many cloves of garlic as you like
Stock or water, around 200g per handful
Sea salt flakes & ground black pepper
Nutmeg
A good handful of chopped greens
Around a handful of grated strong hard cheese

1. Begin by bringing stock or water to the simmer, it must be hot when it meets the rice. The key to that silky texture is to keep the rice cooking which means maintain a stable temperature. While the stock comes to a simmer, strip the kale from the stem and shred. Shred the leeks and chop the chard. All of it or just one type, it is totally up to you.

2. Use a wide shallow pan over a low heat to begin with. Melt the butter with a little oil, or just oil or just butter, which ever takes your fancy. Smash the garlic and add to the pan with a healthy three finger pinch of salt.

3. Add an open loose handful of rice per person to the pan and turn up the heat to its maximum. Keep the rice moving and coat it with all the fat.

4. Listen for a gently sizzle then add a ladle full of simmering liquid. The rice will sizzle, spit and steam, don’t be deterred, keep it moving and listen for the hissing and crackling… it want more liquid. Add another ladle of stock and keep stirring!

5. Keep this routing going until the rice begins to show a contrasting texture. A translucent halo around a white middle, this is halfway there.

6. By now the risotto should start to show a cream liquid around the grains and a more homogenous flow to its movement.

7. Add the greens at this stage and continue with the cycle of adding water… stirring… listening… watching… stirring….

8. Begin to try the odd grain of rice, it should be soft with a slight bite to the middle but not so much that it gets stuck in your teeth. To the bite as the Italians say.

9. Once you are happy with the consistency and quantity of the sauce, remove from the heat, add the cheese with the nutmeg. Stir, serve and enjoy!


Chef Notes:
1. A risotto really is a personal dish, a reflection of the cook. Season it with what you enjoy. To the flavour you prefer.
2. The cheese gives the texture to the sauce, but this can be achieved by any type of cheese, so go with your favourite. Blue, goats, soft, hard. Whichever you like.