Ingredient:
15 g (1/2 oz) butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed
250 g (8 oz) risotto rice
1 litre (1 ¾ pints) hot vegetable stock
175 ml (6 fl oz) single cream
90 g (3 oz) blue cheese, crumbled
4 tbsp ready-made pesto
90 g (3 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
4 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
4 tbsp shredded fresh basil
Method:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. When it is foaming, add the garlic and cook gently for 1 minute.
Add the risotto rice, stirring to coat the grains in the butter, and cook for 2 minutes. Add a ladleful of the hot vegetable stock, and cook gently, stirring constantly, until the stock has been absorbed. Continue to add the stock, a ladleful at a time, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
Add the cream, and cook gently, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Stir in the blue cheese, then the pesto, Parmesan, and pine nuts. Garnish with shredded fresh basil, and serve.
Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
Add 125 g (4 oz) sliced mushrooms to the saucepan with the garlic in step 1 and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Substitute chicken stock for the vegetable stock, omit the blue cheese and pesto, then add 250 g (8 oz) cooked diced chicken with the cream in step 3.
Asparagus Risotto
Add 1 finely chopped onion to the pan with the garlic in step 1 and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Omit the blue cheese and pesto, and add 375 g (12 oz) trimmed and chopped asparagus in step 2, about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
15 g (1/2 oz) butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed
250 g (8 oz) risotto rice
1 litre (1 ¾ pints) hot vegetable stock
175 ml (6 fl oz) single cream
90 g (3 oz) blue cheese, crumbled
4 tbsp ready-made pesto
90 g (3 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
4 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
4 tbsp shredded fresh basil
Method:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. When it is foaming, add the garlic and cook gently for 1 minute.
Add the risotto rice, stirring to coat the grains in the butter, and cook for 2 minutes. Add a ladleful of the hot vegetable stock, and cook gently, stirring constantly, until the stock has been absorbed. Continue to add the stock, a ladleful at a time, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
Add the cream, and cook gently, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Stir in the blue cheese, then the pesto, Parmesan, and pine nuts. Garnish with shredded fresh basil, and serve.
Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
Add 125 g (4 oz) sliced mushrooms to the saucepan with the garlic in step 1 and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Substitute chicken stock for the vegetable stock, omit the blue cheese and pesto, then add 250 g (8 oz) cooked diced chicken with the cream in step 3.
Asparagus Risotto
Add 1 finely chopped onion to the pan with the garlic in step 1 and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Omit the blue cheese and pesto, and add 375 g (12 oz) trimmed and chopped asparagus in step 2, about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
