recipes

Pea and Mint Risotto

The Italians say the “risotto waits for no man”, it should be served immediately. So it can really only be made on the last minute. I do however, get ahead by cooking the onion, and garlic in advance. I then add the wine and stir, and then remove from the heat. When guests arrive, I re-heat the saucepan, add the rice and take it from there.

Ingredients

• Roma Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Knob of butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 400g Roma Risotto rice
• 150 ml white wine
• 1500ml chicken stock, heated to simmering
• 200g frozen peas
• 25g parmesan, freshly grated
• Small bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 3 tbsp cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat a large heavy saucepan and add good drizzle of olive oil and a knob of butter. When the butter is foaming, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until it begins to soften.
2. Add the garlic and rice, and stir for about two minutes until the rice is shiny and opaque. Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs the wine.
3. Then add the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until each ladleful is absorbed, adding the peas with the last ladle.
4. The rice should be creamy but firm to the bite.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan, mint and cream.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.