Our favourite risotto recipes
Rich and creamy, and good whatever the weather, these risottos really deliver.
Risotto is a canvas on which you can paint the colours of the season. It can play host to the freshest summer peas and shoots, or deep earthy mushrooms. There’s is even a version using strawberries! They can be light and loose, or real warming belly fillers for cold nights.
Almost everyone agrees the key to taste and flavour in a risotto is good stock. After that, well opinions differ. There’s various schools of thought on which type of rice is best, what sort of booze to put in, how hard to stir the rice, how to serve it (bowl or plate),and even what spoon should be used.
We’ve got some great risotto recipes here at Lovefood, so here’s our round up of the best.
1.Paul Merrett's pumpkin risotto
This dish uses pumpkin – though butternut squash would do just as well – to give a solid flavour and wonderful orange colour. The addition of nuts and red chicory provides a contrasting texture and colour. Paul says it’s ok to use a stock cube, but believe me, the weekend’s chicken bones gently boiled with an old onion and a carrot would be a vast improvement.
2.Diana Henry’s Beetroot risotto with Lancashire cheese
Risotto by way of Ramsbottom here as Diana Henry offers us a version Wallace and Gromit would no doubt enjoy. You can buy beetroot ready cooked, don’t use the stuff in vinegar though. As with the pumpkin above the beetroot will give a lovely colour and earthy taste.
3.Lesley Water's healthy version
Lesley’s advises that risotto doesn’t really contribute to your ‘five a day’ “so try serving it with roasted roots in the winter or a fresh salad in the summer eg Rocket and tomato, simply drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar.” Actually you can get the latter all year round now, most unseasonal. If you’re lactose intolerant you can use lactose free cheese.
4.James Ramsden’s Veal shank with risotto and gremolata
Big flavours here from James. This version takes a bit of effort but is well worth it. Veal’s great stuff and we should be eating more of it as it’s often a by-product of the dairy industry. If you drink milk you should eat well raised ethical veal. The gremolata is a must, providing a citrus ‘pep up’ to contrast all these solid meaty flavours.
5.Ainsley Harriott's Baked mussels
Ainsley’s gone kerrr-razy with this version featuring mussels and a dash of Tabasco sauce. The later is optional and we’d perhaps replace with a few saffron strands steeped in hot water if you’ve got any in your cupboard. Actually if anyone makes this let us know how you get on.
6.Tiffany Goodall's asparagus and pea risotto
Tiffany’s version is more for early summer as it features British asparagus. We wouldn't really recommend using the Peruvian asparagus you see in the shops this time of year. Frozen peas would be fine though, and you could chuck in anything green you can find to complement the peas and the spring onions.
How do you make your risotto? Tell us in the comments below.
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Image by DeaPeaJay used under Creative Commons
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