Risotto with peas, lemon and ricotta
This is a divine spring recipe from ‘The River Café Cookbook Green’ and since green is the colour du jour for summer, start cooking…
For 6
3 kg of peas (or less if you want)
250g fresh ricotta, beaten up a bit
Rind of 2 lemons
1.5 litres of chicken stock
2 tabs fresh mint leaves
3 garlics
200g unsalted butter
500 g spring onions
400g Arborio rice
2 tabs torn basil leaves
150ml of dry vermouth
Some parmesan for a sprinkle
·Heat chicken stock please
·Slice up garlics, and all the mint and basil leaves
·Now here’s a clever idea and it’s not too tricky: Boil a saucepan of water and boil up the peas, half the mint and a whole garlic clove. Not too difficult so don’t screw up your nose like that, it’s easy.
·Boil for about 4 minutes and then keep about 150 mls of the water, drain the rest and throw the peas and mint back in (to have a little time alone.)
·Now make the risotto: Melt the butter, add the spring onion, garlic, then rice and give it a good going over….
·Add the chicken stock and keep stirring the rice,adding chicken stock and repeating till the rice is nearly al dente. It’s all in the wrist action.
·Now throw half the peas into the risotto and keep stirring.
·Time for a drink or you’ll never get through all that stirring.
·Add more chicken stock and cook more to get the rice al dente
·Then whip out the whizzer and whiz up the rest of the peas, garlic and mint and water mix so it’s all mushy
·Add to the risotto, plus the basil leaves
·Look at all the divine greens together! Gorgeous.
·Have another drink and while you’re at it, pour the risotto a drink too: pour in the vermouth, 2 tabs of ricotta and some butter as well
·Wow doesn’t that smell great ?!
·Stir in the remaining ricotta and mmm, better do a taste test,
·If it’s not cooked, you’d better pour in some more vermouth or a dash of wine
(one for the road) and keep stirring till it is looking like risotto
·Serve with lots of lemon zest, a few mint or basil leaves tossed non chalantly on top, a bit of parmesan and lots of crunchy bread
Creamy and so delicious…
Loading ...