
Week 23 - Risotto with an orange and onion salad
Updated: Feb 5, 2021
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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