Seasonal local food recipe No.228 – Hugh’s baby carrot and broad bean risotto
This is from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg Every Day! and is a perfect summer risotto. I often use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
1 tbs olive or rapeseed oil
40 g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
800ml hot vegetable stock
200g risotto rice
100ml white wine
250-300g baby carrots, scrubbed and halved or quartered lengthways
150g baby broad beans
20g parmesan cheese, finely grated
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
olive or rapeseed oil to serve
Method
Heat the oil and 25 g butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Stir the rice into the onion and cook for a minute or two, then stir again. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes, stirring from time to time, until the wine is absorbed.
Start adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and add more stock as it is absorbed. It should take about 20-25 minutes for the stock to be absorbed and for the rice to be cooked but still al dente. Add the carrots when the rice has been cooking for about 12 minutes; put the broad beans in about 5 minutes from the end of the cooking time.
When the rice and vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat. Add the cheese and the remaining butter, cover and leave for a couple of minutes. Add most of the parsley and season to taste. Serve in bowls with the remaining parsley scattered over and trickle over a little oil.
