It's worth watching the risotto making tutorial if you have never made a risotto before and also for tips on how you can prepare ahead and finish 10 minutes before service. This recipe is enough for 4 people as a main course.I have included smoked mackerel at the end which is a fantastic combination with beetroot and horseradish and added saltiness, however this is optional.
What equipment do you recommend?Check my 'Kitchen Essentials' list on Amazon!
Ingredients
300gbeetrootscrubbed clean
Olive oil for drizzling
50gbutter
300gcarnaroli or arborio rice
2banana shallotvery finely diced
120mlwhite wine
1.5ltrvegetable stock
2tbspricotta
2tbspparmesan (vegetarian hard cheese if preferred)grated
1/2lemonzested
50gsugar snap peassliced ont he diagonal
1tbspchopped dill
1tbsp chopped parsley
2smoked mackerel filletsbroken into small pieces
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C fan.
Place the beetroot on a large sheet of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt. Wrap the parcel and place in the oven for 2 hours or until soft when pierced with a knife. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off. Roughly chop two thirds of the beetroot and put in a mini processor, season with salt and pepper then blitz to a purée and set aside. Cube the remaining third and set aside.
Put the stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, taste the stock and 1-2 tsp of salt. Once the stock is hot you can start the risotto.
In a large pan over a medium heat, add the butter. When it starts foaming add the rice, stir to coat with butter. Allow the rice to get very hot and almost toasted then add the shallots, stir through and cook for 30 second. Splash in the wine and stir until it is almost incorporated then start adding the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. Continue adding stock bit by bit and stirring for approx 25 minutes. Towards the end, taste the rice, you want each grain to remain separate and to have a very slight bite to it.
To finish the risotto, add the beetroot purée, cubed beetroot, ricotta, parmesan, sugar snaps and lemon zest. Continue to stir until warmed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finally stir the herbs through the rice, top with smoked mackerel if using and serve in large warm bowls.