Risotto Recipes

Index

1. Basic Recipe (Risotto Milanese)
2. Deep-fried Potato and Caper Risotto
3. Greens and Toasted Pine Nuts Risotto
4. Mushroom (with Optional Truffle) Risotto
5. Sage-roasted Winter Vegetable Risotto
6. Brussels Sprout and Chestnut Risotto
7. Grilled Red Pepper and Pesto Risotto
8. Greek-style Risotto
9. Asparagus & Parsley Risotto
10. Artichoke & Flageolet Bean Risotto
11. Roast Fennel Risotto
12. Mexican Risotto
13. Smoked Tofu Risotto with Grilled Leeks
14. Spinach & Kalamata Risotto
15. Sorrel Risotto

Second, chronologically, of my 'themed' pages, the risotto lends itself well to variety.

The first recipe is the classic Milanese, delicious in itself, but also able to act as a base for other additives. Quantity given is to feed 2 for a generous main course. If using bulky additives, cut down the rice to 8 oz. If part of a larger meal, 6 oz is closer to the mark.

Some chefs exhort you to stir the risotto constantly; I find risotto quite forgiving provided it doesn't stick to the pan, so I would prefer to use the phrase 'stir regularly'. For rice, make sure you use a proper short-grain risotto variety, such as arborio, carnaroli or vialone, and don't soak or rinse - it's the starchiness that gives risotto part of its character.

Finally, risotto is generally very wine-friendly, perhaps because it contains wine! Therefore I'm going to include a wine recommendation or two for each dish. Buon appetito!

1. Basic Recipe (Risotto Milanese)

The classic, and a base for the rest.

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 glass white wine or vermouth
10 oz/280g risotto rice
good pinch saffron (optional)
about 1½ - 1¾ pints/about 1l hot vegetable stock*
seasoning
1 tbsp good margarine (Pure organic is highly recommended)
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute)

Instructions

1. Sweat the onion in the oil till softening, then add the garlic and sweat for a further two minutes.
2. Add the rice (and saffron, if using), stirring to coat with oil, then the wine or vermouth.
3. Stir till almost absorbed, then begin adding stock, about a ladle (1/4 pint) at a time, stirring regularly till almost absorbed.
4. Continue adding all the stock in this way until used up and the rice feels cooked.
5. Season to taste, perhaps erring on the side of caution.
6. The risotto should still be pourable, but should not have a large 'head' of unabsorbed fluid when left to settle.
7. At this point, add the margarine and Parmazano and stir through till melted and incorporated.
8. Check seasoning again - it'll probably be OK now - and serve on warm plates, passing pepper and more Parmazano.

2. Deep-fried Potato and Caper

The potatoes give this dish a deep, earthy undercurrent whilst deep-frying the capers mellows them out and provides a tangy yet sweet foil for the earthiness.

Ingredients

1 recipe risotto Milanese (above)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
8 - 12 oz/220 - 330g potatoes, peeled if old, cut to 1cm cubes
3 tbsp capers, rinsed and patted dry (use a few extra for a garnish
  if desired)
oil for deep-frying 

Instructions

1. On beginning to add the stock to the Milanese, pre-heat the deep-frying oil to high.
2. About halfway through the recipe, add the potato cubes and cook till golden-brown; remove and set aside.
3. Now add the capers and cook for 10 - 20 seconds, till the buds open to look like flowers; set aside with the potatoes.
4. At the final stage, add the thyme, potatoes and capers to the risotto, and stir well to mix.

3. Greens and Toasted Pine Nuts

A subtle but delicious combination.

Ingredients

1 recipe risotto Milanese (above)
1 bunch greens (8 - 10 oz/220 - 280g), rinsed, large ribs removed
  and finely chopped
2oz pine nuts, lightly toasted 

Instructions

1. After about 10 minutes of adding stock to the Milanese, add the greens and continue cooking as normal.
2. At the final stage, add the pine nuts to the risotto, and stir well to mix.

4. Mushroom (with optional Truffle)

A classic with the rich, earthy flavours of autumn, this is probably as good as it gets. Unusually, the alcohol component is omitted to concentrate more on those forest flavours. For added luxury, I use some truffle (which is very expensive: black are a tenner for 3 or 4, and white about £30 each?). Make sure the stock is very rich for this one, Vecon is good or add a little yeast extract/soya sauce/miso to your normal one.

Ingredients

1 recipe risotto Milanese (above), omitting garlic and wine
½ oz/15g dried porcini (can use other dried, but these are the best)
8 oz/220g mixed wild or field mushrooms, sliced
1 black (or white!) truffle, about 2.5cm diameter (optional)
3tbsp flatleaf parsley 

Instructions

1. Soak the dried mushrooms for at least 30 minutes in boiling water.
2. Drain, reserving the liquid.
3. Begin preparation as with the milanese, but before adding the rice, add the porcini and fresh wild/field mushrooms (and half the truffle if using), stirring till just cooked.
4. Add the porcini soaking liquid to the rice first, then the stock and continue as normal.
5. At the end point, add the parsley and remaining truffle if using.

5. Sage-roasted Winter Vegetables

Ah, it's a hard life having to devise a new risotto recipe every month, using seasonal ingredients! But when one's labours lead to a dish like this, it's all worthwhile. The vegetables should be tender but not falling apart, and the mustard binds the flavours together.

Ingredients

1 recipe risotto Milanese (above), using 8oz rice and reducing
  the wine by half
2 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced/diced, depending on thickness
1 - 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced/diced, depending on thickness
½ small swede, cubed (1.5 - 2cm)
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
seasoning
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Pure or other vegan margarine
4 tbsp flatleaf parsley
garlic breadcrumbs (use 2 slices wholemeal)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C; put the diced vegetables in a roasting tin with the sage, oil and seasoning and toss well.
2. Place in the oven.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the risotto as above; after the final stock addition, add the Pure, mustard and parsley and season to taste.
4. Add the balsamic vinegar to the vegetables and toss well.
5. Prepare the garlic breadcrumbs, then add the vegetables to the rice (they should roast well in the time it takes to prepare the risotto).
6. Serve immediately, topped with the garlic breadcrumbs.

6. Brussels Sprout and Chestnut

A festive risotto? Why not? This is rich, but not too much so.

Ingredients

1 recipe risotto Milanese (above), reducing the wine by half
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
12 oz/360g Brussels sprouts, outer leaves and stalks removed and
  quartered lengthways
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsp lime juice
1 x 200g pack cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
seasoning
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Pure or other vegan margarine
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute)

Instructions

1. Prepare the risotto as above; as the rice absorbs the stock, sauté sprouts in the olive oil over low heat, turning frequently.
2. When cooked but still a little crunch left, add the garlic and sage.
3. Cook briefly, then add the lime juice and chestnuts.
4. Season to taste.
5. After the final stock addition for the rice, add the Pure, mustard and sprout mix and check seasoning.
6. Serve with Parmazano.

7. Grilled Red Pepper and Pesto

Though this is going up with the February update, it's sometimes good to have, as it were, a sneak pre-taste of summer. This is one of the best I've done.

Ingredients

1 recipe risotto Milanese (above)
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and cut into flat strips
1 tbsp vegan pesto
seasoning
1 tbsp Pure or other vegan margarine
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute)

Instructions

1. Prepare the risotto as above, adding the tomatoes with the rice; as the rice absorbs the stock, grill the peppers under a medium-low grill (use about 30% - grill for about 20 minutes to get a fairly even blackening).
2. When done, wrap in a clean tea-towel for a few minutes to encourage the skin to loosen further.
3. Then carefully strip away the skin with a small sharp knife and cut into strips.
4. Add these to the risotto.
5. After the final stock addition for the rice, add the Pure and check seasoning.
6. Serve with Parmazano and the parsley.

8. Greek-style Risotto

Greek is the theme this month (Mar-04), what with the Recipe of the Month and all - its flavours lend themselves well to the risotto format.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese (above), using 8 oz (220g) rice and half the wine
3 tbsp olive oil
1 pack or bunch spring greens, washed well and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
seasoning
3 tbsp black olives (preferably kalamata), stoned and coarsely
  chopped
2 tbsp capers, drained
3 tbsp baby okra (optional)
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

1. Prepare the Milanese base as directed; as this cooks, sauté the greens in the oil for a few minutes, stirring regularly to prevent browning.
2. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes, then add the lemon juice and seasoning. Cook till tender.
3. As the rice nears the end of cooking, add the olives, capers and okra (if using).
4. Use a slug of good olive oil rather than margarine to finish off, then stir in the greens.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with the pine nuts.

9. Asparagus & Parsley Risotto

Now we're well into the asparagus season (April), it's time to get inventive with this luxury vegetable - any dish containing asparagus should showcase it rather than mask its wonderful flavour, and this risotto does the job admirably.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese, above (BUT read instructions first)
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces
6 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
handful of pine nuts, toasted
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute)

Instructions

1. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 3 -5 minutes till only just tender; drain, saving the water to prepare the stock for the risotto.
2. Prepare the Milanese as described above.
3. At the final addition of stock, add ¾ of the parsley and the asparagus.
4. Serve garnished with the pine nuts, the remaining parsley and Parmazano if desired.

10. Artichoke & Flageolet Bean Risotto

A very easy variant on the basic recipe, but totally delicious - use pre-roasted artichokes if you can find them.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese, above
1 tsp dried thyme
1 can flageolet beans, drained
6 artichoke pieces (usually quartered hearts, in oil), chopped
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute)

Instructions

1. Prepare the basic recipe as described above, adding the thyme with the onion.
2. Before the final stock addition, add the remaining ingredients.
3. Serve with the Parmazano if desired.

11. Roast Fennel Risotto

A subtle and delicious recipe.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese, above
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried tarragon
½ tsp dried dill 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C.
2. In a roasting dish, toss the fennel with the olive oil then place in the oven for 15 - 30 minutes till tender but not overcooked.
3. Prepare the basic recipe as described above, adding the fennel seeds and herbs with the onion.
4. Before the final stock addition, add the roasted fennel.

12. Mexican Risotto

A simple and hearty risotto with a Mexican twist.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese (use 8 oz/225g rice, plus see below for variation)
4 cloves garlic, chopped medium-fine
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 green pepper, diced
2 tbsp tomato puree
small can sweetcorn, drained
can red kidney beans, drained
1 avocado

Instructions

1. Prepare the Milanese with the following variations: begin by frying the garlic in the oil over medium-high heat till golden-brown then stir in the spices and oregano, followed by the tomato puree.
2. Continue as the recipe, adding the green pepper after the onion is softened and continue frying till the pepper is cooked, then proceed as normal.
3. At the end of cooking, add the corn and beans then skin, de-seed and dice the avocado and add to the pan.
4. Heat through then serve.

13. Smoked Tofu Risotto with Grilled Leeks

Tasty and sophisticated.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese (replace the ordinary garlic with smoked, if available)
1 pack (8 - 10 oz/225 - 280 g) smoked tofu, pressed and cubed
sunflower oil, for deep-frying
1lb/450g leeks, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
seasoning
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Milanese as directed. Pre-heat the deep-fryer and grill.
2. Deep-fry the tofu cubes until beginning to brown and puff up. Lift out and keep warm.
3. Toss the slice leeks in the olive oil and seasoning and grill until browning, turning regularly.
4. When the risotto is almost ready, mix in the tofu and two-thirds of the leeks.
5. Serve, topping with the remaining leeks and then Parmazano.

14. Spinach & Kalamata Risotto

You can leave out the kalamata for a more mellow, creamy dish but I like the counterpoint it provides.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese
1 bunch spinach, washed and shredded
15 - 20 kalamata olives, stoned and slivered
handful of slivered almonds, toasted
Parmazano (Parmesan substitute), optional

Instructions

1. Cook the spinach in a large pan in just the water clinging to it till it is completely wilted, but no more.
2. Prepare the Milanese as described above.
3. At the final addition of stock, add the spinach and olives.
4. Serve garnished with the almonds, and Parmazano if desired.

15. Sorrel Risotto

Another great showcase for the wonderful sorrel, whose slightly tart flavour is balanced by the sweetness of peas and pine nuts.

Ingredients

1 recipe Milanese
large handful of sorrel leaves, coarsely chopped
4oz/115g frozen peas
1oz/25g pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

1. Prepare the Milanese as described above.
2. At the penultimate addition of stock, add the peas, sorrel and pine nuts.