Beetroot risotto with Lancashire cheese recipe
Diana says: “You can serve this as you would any risotto – with grated pecorino or parmesan on the side – but I like a subtler cheese with it, and since it isn’t a strictly Italian dish I think it’s alright to use something unexpected. Crumbly Lancashire is perfect and a great partner for the beetroot. Do use a good, well flavoured chicken stock, preferably home-made.”
Ingredients
- 30 g Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 400 g Cooked beetroot, chopped into cubes
- 2 Shallots, peeled and finely chopped?
- 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Sprig of fresh thyme (just the leaves)
- 900 ml Chicken stock
- 250 g Risotto rice
- 125 ml Dry vermouth
- 2 tbsp Double cream (optional)
- 110 g Pecorino, grated
- 1 Small handful fresh parsley, chopped (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 pinch Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 pinches Lancashire cheese, grated
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped beetroot, shallots, garlic and thyme leaves. Cook gently for 3 minutes until the onion has softened, but hasn't coloured.
- Heat the stock to simmering point.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat all the grains in the buttery mixture. Cook, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes until the grains begin to look translucent.
- Add the vermouth to the pan and allow it to bubble up and reduce slightly. Add a ladleful of the simmering stock, and stir until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, as the liquid is absorbed, stirring between each addition. You have to stir constantly.
- Cook the rice until the grains are tender but still have a little bite. It will take at least 20 minutes.
- This risotto really does need quite a lot of salt but if you've used good home-made stock the dish should already be quite salty. Add the cream if you're using it (it makes the dish richer and also a paler colour so it's up to you whether you want it at all), the pecorino and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.