leek & pumpkin barley risotto

what you need

butternut pumpkin, 500g, peeled, seeded, chopped
olive oil, 2 tablespoons
leek, 1, trimmed, rinsed, sliced
rindless bacon, 2 rashes, chopped
garlic, 1 clove, crushed
button mushrooms, 200g, halved
pearl barley, 1 1/2 cups
vegetable stock, 5 cups
parsley, roughly chopped, 1/3 cup
bread, to serve (optional)

what to do 

Preheat oven to hot, 200C.

 In a baking dish, toss pumpkin in half oil. Season to taste. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden and tender.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan on medium. Saute leek, bacon and garlic 2-3 minutes, until leek is tender. 

Add mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring, until golden. 

Stir in barley to coat in oil. Pour in stock and bring to boil. 

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes

.Remove lid and simmer a further 10-15 minutes, stirring, until barley is tender and liquid completely absorbed. 

Season to taste.Carefully stir pumpkin through. Serve sprinkled with parsley, accompanied with bread, if liked.

my tip

Pearl barley is higher in fibre than white rice and contains antioxidants. Try brown rice for a gluten-free fibre hit

roasted beetroot & red wine risotto

Ingredients

400g (3 large) beetroot, ends trimmed

500ml (2 cups) salt-reduced vegetable stock

1 tbs olive oil

1 small brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

220g (1 cup) arborio rice

160ml (2/3 cup) red wine

40g (1/2 cup) finely grated parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Wrap the beetroot in foil and roast in the oven for approx. 40-50 minutes or until tender (this will depend on the size of the beets). Set aside to cool slightly.

Wearing rubber gloves to avoid staining your hands, peel the beetroot and coarsely chop.

Place the beetroot in the bowl of a food processor with 125ml (1/2 cup) of the stock and process until smooth.

Heat the oil in a 2L (8-cup) capacity ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and rice, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until the grains appear slightly glassy.

Heat the remaining stock in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add the beetroot mixture, stock and wine to the casserole dish and stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil.

Reduce the oven temp to 160 celcius and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in the parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, topped with baby water cress and break pieces of goats cheese over

My tip: Prepare the beetroot up to 7 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, then it should only take 40 minutes to finish the risotto.

lamb risotto

what you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 lb lamb, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

2oz feta (about 1/4 cup), crumbled

what to do

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat, add lamb, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes Use a slotted spoon to remove lamb, set aside.

Bring stock to a boil in a medium sized pot then simmer and maintain over low heat.

In separate large saucepan heat oil over medium heat, add onion and sauté until onions are soft. Add rice, stir until each grain is well coated with oil and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add wine, stir until absorbed.

Add stock one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. After about 4 cups of stock, check to see if the risotto is done. If it’s still firm add another 1/2 cup broth and check again. Continue until risotto is tender. When done remove from heat and add lamb and Feta. Mix well.

Garnish with crumbled feta if desired.

beetroot risotto

what you need

3 large fresh beetroot

1 tbs olive oil

30g butter

1 onion, diced

2 cups arborio rice

4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

100grs grated parmesan

2 tablespoons butter

what to do

Peel the beetroot and cut into julienne strips. Wash the beetroot tops and chop into 7cm pieces.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy saucepan, saute the onion for 3 mins or until soft. Add the beetroot and cook stirring over a moderate heat for 2 mins. Add rice and stir until translucent.

Add a ladle of stock at a time to rice and stir until absorbed. Continue stirring in the stock, gradually, until the rice is just cooked. This process should take around 20 mins.

Season to taste with salt and pepper

Stir in butter and parmesan. let stand for 5 minutes. Then serve topped with diced beetroot and shaved parmesan.

Risotto Milanese

what you need

4 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced finely
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 large pinch saffron threads
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

what to do

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Lower heat, keep warm.

In the risotto pan, add the olive oil and onion. Cook the onion slowly for several minutes, until soft but do not brown. Add the rice and cook the rice for a couple of minutes. Add the saffron. Add the white wine and cook for a couple of minutes until the liquid has cooked off.

Start adding the stock. Add a couple of ladles initially and stir. Use a rubber spatula instead of a spoon. This really is the best tool - you can really lift the rice off the bottom of the pan. When you begin adding the stock, start timing the risotto. It should take between 20-25 minutes. You should stir the rice as much as you can, not allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pan. Do not boil the rice, just keep it on a simmer. As soon as the liquid has cooked off, keeping adding the stock by the ladleful.

After about 20 minutes, taste the rice. It should be soft, but still retain a little firmness (bite). When you think it is done, do not add any more liquid. Four cups of stock is usually just right. When the rice has absorbed the liquid, turn off the heat and add the parmesan. Serve hot and add more grated parmesan to the top if you like.

Oven baked sausage and tomato risotto

What you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

400g chorizo sausages sliced thick

1 red onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

2 celery stalks, diagonally sliced

400g can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf

parsley, to serve

what to do

Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a 12-cup flameproof casserole or ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Fry sausages for 10 minutes, turning until browned and almost cooked. Remove from pan.

Add onion to saucepan, and more oil if needed. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until soft.

Slice sausages into bite-sized pieces.

Add rice and celery to saucepan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Add sausages, tomatoes, stock and water. Stir. Remove from heat. Cover with the lid or foil.

Transfer dish to the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, but firm to the bite. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

three cheese risotto

what you need

1 litre hot chicken stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped

400g aborio rice

2 glasses of dry white wine

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

100g Gruyere cheese, roughly chopped

100g taleggio cheese, roughly chopped

75g butter

50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

what to do

Heat the stock in a pan over a moderate heat.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry gently for about 5 minutes until softened.

Add the rice to the pan and turn up the heat. Cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly, until the rice looks slightly translucent.

Add the wine and keep stirring - any alcohol flavours will evaporate.Once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly on the outside. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is cooked but still holds its shape - this takes about 15 minutes.Stir in the Gruyere and taleggio.

Remove the pan from the heat and season to taste, then beat in the butter and Parmesan.

Place a lid on the pan and leave to rest for 2 to 3 minutes - your risotto will get nice and oozy.

squid ink risotto with seared scallops

Fresh squid ink sacks are always best, and easy to remove from fresh squid, but if you can't find, or don't won't to clean squid, you should be able to purchase sachets of squid ink from good speciality food stores.

The secret to making risotto is to continually stir the mixture as you add the chicken stock. This helps to release the starch from the rice, giving the risotto a nice creamy texture

what you need
1 1/2 litres chicken stock
100g golden shallots, finely chopped
2 cups risotto rice
¼ cup white wine
4 squid or cuttlefish ink sacks
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 bunch chives
¼cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
100g unsalted butter or cream
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt, pepper, chilli, as hot as you like
1 tbsp cream or butter to finish
16 fresh scallops

what to do
Bring stock to boil and keep hot.In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Do not allow the shallots to brown.

Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes, coating the grains with the butter, but not allowing to brown. Add the wine and enough chicken stock to just cover the rice. Stir continuously until the rice absorbs the liquid. Repeat, adding a ladle of stock at a time, allowing it to be absorbed, until all stock is used. Cooking time will be about 18-20 minutes.

Once the risotto is cooked add the squid ink, lemon juice, chives, parsley and butter or cream to finish. Season with salt and pepper. Place into four plates.

Lightly coat the base of a non-stick pan with a little olive oil and bring to high heat. Sear the scallops on both sides, then garnish the risotto with them.

mushroom risotto balls

These bite size balls similar to arancini were so popular not only at the restaurant but also with my family, often asked to make them for Alexia my daughter and for family functions. While these are made with mushrooms, they are just as easy to make them with roast pumpkin or even chicken. Great as a starter or as part of antipasto platter.

what you need
100g butter or olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
400g field mushrooms, peeled, stalks removed, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 litre water or vegetable/chicken stock
1 cup grated parmesan
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
Vegetable for frying

what to do
Melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan, season and gently cook seasoned onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and bay leaf and cook for 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Add rice and 750ml water or stock. Simmer and stir until rice is cooked, adding more liquid as necessary. Discard bay leaf and stir through parmesan and thyme.

Transfer to a container and allow to set in the fridge. Shape into golf ball size balls using your hands.
Lightly dust with flour, dip in egg then coat evenly with breadcrumbs. Shallow or deep-fry in oil (180c) until golden brown and warm in the centre, about 6 minutes.

basic risotto

While aborio makes a good risotto, Ferron Carnaroli is a superfino rice which is large and has a longer grain which in turn makes a slightly drier risotto, i do like my risotto moist & creamy so i prefer Ferron Vialone Nano which is a starchier rice, perfect for a creamy risotto and perect for rice based desserts.the secret to a good risotto is in the constant stirring.

what you need

300 grams Ferron or Arborio rice
30 ml of olive oil
50 grams of butter*
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 litres chicken stock
60 grams parmesan, grated

what to do

stock

Put chicken carcass, carrots, onion and celery and a beef bone into a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil . Cook one hour. This does not need the same attention to skimming as for brodo. Being cloudy does not matter in risotto.

To cook the rice

Melt the butter and oil together. Fry the onion but do not colour Fry the rice with the onions, and then add a few ladles of stock. Do not let the rice brown. Turn down heat and cover. After 10 minutes, add more stock and stir again. You will need to keep watching, stirring and adding stock. Takes 25-30 minutes approx. Fold through parmesan before serving

Note

Many of the tradititional recipes use more butter, particularly added at the end mantecato (creamed) but people now seem to prefer a less buttery flavour. However you can't make true risotto just with oil. You must be able to smell and taste butter. It's an important part of the dish. An exception can be made with fish risotto.

If prefer not to add wine to my risotto as the acidity can take away from the natural flavours.