3rd September 2020

So the leftover queen was busy again tonight.  There was chicken and home made stock in the fridge so we cooked a risotto.  A really, really fantastic risotto.

I have been making risotto for a really very long time - probably 20-25 years in fact (ouch!).  Recently however I have found the ultimate risotto recipe and really learnt how to make it.

During asparagus season I went a bit mad and bought quite a few bunches one weekend (it wasn’t my fault, I just couldn’t help myself because they looked SO good) and I was going through my cookbooks trying to find different things to do with my many bunches and found an asparagus risotto recipe in my Harry’s bar cookbook that looked interesting.  It was, without question, the best risotto I have ever had. The ‘flavoured’ risotto’s are based on a basic recipe - which is anything other than boring.

I learnt a lot reading this recipe in this book. Firstly how important hot stock is. I’ve read numerous times that stock must be hot but somehow the importance escaped me until this book explained it. Secondly I think I’ve always cooked my risotto at a lower heat than I now realise I should. Then lastly they finish it with butter, Parmesan and a few tablespoons of stock.  The difference these things make was huge. It also took a lot less time than it usually would and felt creamier and much less heavy. It was beautiful.  This is definitely a recipe keeper.

So back to that trusty recipe and a fabulous bowl of steaming risotto, so so good and a perfect portion.  Although I would have happily eaten another bowl had there been any.