Week 23 - Risotto with an orange and onion salad

A classic risotto with sweet peas, vibrant mint and seared asparagus, served with a palate-cleansing fresh orange and onion salad.

This is a basic recipe so feel free to jazz it up with any additions you like. There are some great ideas on the Delicious website.

Basic ingredients (4 people)

80-100g of Arborio risotto rice per person

1 brown onion

1 red onion

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

Bunch of asparagus

1 orange per person (try and get blood oranges!)

Olives (green/black)

30g of pine nuts or pecans or walnuts

1 lime

Few handfuls of frozen peas

Vegetable stock: use a cube, bouillon or other is fine

Herbs & spices: fresh mint, garlic, chilli

Luxury ingredients (optional)

100g of hard cheese like parmesan (make sure it doesn't contain animal rennet)

250ml dry white wine (cheap is fine) / or a vermouth / Martini

Butter

Cherry tomatoes

Selection of meals prepared by the foodies in this week's class

PREP

Take peas out of freezer · boil kettle · put oven on 180° (if using cherry tomatoes)

Put a big pan on the hob to heat on high with a few dashes of olive oil.

Meanwhile, chop the brown onion, dice a carrot and slice celery. Sauté the veg for 30 seconds in the hot oil, then turn down to the lowest heat.

Put your cherry tomatoes into the oven on a little tray with olive oil.

Salad

• Mix one sliced red onion with the juice of a half lime, and leave to rest.

• In a nice serving bowl, lay sliced orange pieces on the bottom, scatter with the nuts, olives and freshly sliced mint.

• When you come to serve, add the red onions.

COOK

Bring your stock to a simmer (around 1litre per 400g of rice) on the hob next to your sautéing vegetables. Prepare the wine/vermouth, a large glass > then get another ready for the rice ;-)

Throw your dry rice into the veg and toast for a few minutes.

Add 4 cloves of minced garlic to your rice and turn up the heat to medium. When it smells nice, add chill (optional) and the glass of wine/vermouth and let it sizzle off.

Check your roasting tomatoes, you're looking for a little char. Set aside when done.

Now, for what will seem like eternity, continue to add in a ladle of stock and stir your rice continually until it has soaked up the liquid. Repeat a million times.

Taste a few grains after about 12 minutes to see how the starch is getting on. Continue to stock-and-stir until you get the texture you are happy with. Then add the peas and a little more stock for a final minute.

Your rice is done when your grain are no longer distinct but nice and creamy.

Take off the heat, stir in 100g of grated cheese and a knob of butter (both optional), cover and let rest for a few minutes.

GARNISH

While the risotto is resting, stir fry the asparagus on a high heat.

Top your risotto with the roasted tomatoes, asparagus and fresh chopped mint.

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