My First Recipe Post: Pea, Mint and Parmesan Risotto

In the Treacle-Ginge household, we believe that there is no better comfort food than risotto. I have been perfecting this recipe for the past couple of years and this is the version that we enjoy the most. It is really summery and refreshing, perhaps two words you wouldn't initially associate with a dish made entirely of rice. It is creamy and silky thanks to the parmesan, with just enough bite from the rice and sweetness from the peas, whilst the wine and the mint lift the flavour, making it less rich and completely addictive.           

Ingredients:

• 1 pint / 560ml good quality chicken / vegetable stock
• 50g peas (I use frozen because I can't grow my own yet, but fresh would be even lovelier I am sure)
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
• Butter
• Olive oil
• 6oz / 170g arborio rice
• A good glug of white wine
• A good sized handful of parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving
• A handful of fresh mint (from the garden, if you have it)
• Black pepper

Prep:

• Prepare your stock - either buy fresh liquid stock and heat in a pan until warm, or add to boiling water if you are using stock pots or stock cubes. 
• Melt a small amount of butter in a small frying pan and gently soften the spring onion, so that it is white and green and translucent. 
• Place the peas in a small bowl, pour in enough boiling water to just cover them and leave them to one side.

The Main Event:  

• Melt butter in a large saucepan, with a drizzle of olive oil to stop it burning. 
• Add onion and stir to coat each tiny piece with butter and allow to soften on a low heat. 
• Using the flat side of a large knife, drag the finely chopped garlic backwards and forwards on a chopping board, pressing hard to create a puree. 
• Once onions look translucent, but not brown, add the garlic puree and stir until combined. 
• Add rice to the buttery onions and stir for two minutes, to allow the grains to soak up the flavour.  
• Add a small amount of stock and stir until the rice has absorbed (this shouldn't take very long)
• Add about 1/3 of the remaining stock and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until all of the stock has been absorbed. 
• Repeat this process until you have used all of the stock and it has all been absorbed. 
• Pour in a good glug of white wine and allow to absorb. The texture should be loose and creamy and the rice should have a bit of a bite in the middle. 

Final Touches:

• Gently stir in peas and spring onions
• Add grated parmesan and stir until well combined. This should make the risotto super creamy.
• Add the finely chopped mint and stir very gently.
• Serve in a big bowl with extra parmesan and a few flecks of black pepper and a cool glass of crisp white wine.

Yuuummmm!