Simple Risotto with Goats Cheese and Watercress
Serves: 4
Time: 40 minutes
I just love a good risotto, this one is super simple and very quick to make but still delivers on flavour.
Leftovers
If feeding two your leftovers are going to be exactly the same as dinner.
Boost it with bone broth
I used to make my own chicken broth all the time, but I go through huge stints where I just don't feel like it. Chicken broth would be absolutely delicious in a risotto and a great way to add more goodness too.
What you'll need
1 1/2 cups of risotto rice
1 small brown onion
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of fresh chopped thyme
(leftover thyme: use it up with this week’s blog recipe)
1 litre chicken stock
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
1/4 bunch of watercress
125g goats cheese
1 cup of cooked Edamame beans
25g butter
lemon (optional)
From the pantry
1 tablespoon olive oil
a big splash of white wine (Optional - if you have, it works great).
Feeding Four
There is plenty of rissotto but you will need xtra watercress, goats cheese and parmesan.</span
Prep and Cook
Prep onion
Chop your onion into a nice fine dice (brunoise, see blog post for detailed instructions).
Finely chop garlic and thyme, removing any larger stalks.
Sauté
Choosing the right pan to cook in
Simple little things like which pan you use can make a difference to your final product. With a risotto I like to use something with a thick base such as a cast iron casserole dish or a really sturdy fry pan that has high sides and a lid. Using a pan with a thick base means you get a more even and consistent heat.
Heat your pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently sauté off your onion, garlic and thyme till it starts to soften and has very slightly changed colour.
Add your risotto rice and cookout till it begins to turn translucent in colour (add more oil if necessary).
Add liquids
If you have white wine in the house then a really big splash (1/4 cup) would work well but isn’t essential. We don’t often have white in the house as I generally only keep red cooking wine, but I do like a martini, so vermouth also works pretty well.
The alcohol will bubble and burn off pretty quickly.
Add 1 cup of stock.
(I cheat here as I’m using the 1 litre chicken stock in a carton that has come out of the pantry and is already at room temperature, so I’m saving on dishes by not heating it in a pot, but if your stock is out of the fridge then you will need to heat it first).
Stir continuously until the liquid has absorbed into the rice. Then add another cup of stock and keep stirring for about a minute before you add one more cup of stock. There will be quite a lot of liquid ( I like to use a lid now, mainly because I often have a toddler screaming around the house that needs attention but if you aren’t pushed for time and can stand at the stove the entire time then continue to cook without a lid, stirring constantly). Cook stirring occasionally until the liquid has almost completely absorbed.
It is important to start adding the remainder of the stock in smaller quantities and checking/tasting your rice as you go.
You want rice that is soft but still has a slight bite, so continue adding stock until you are happy.
Add the Cheese and Butter
When you are happy with your rice, remove the pan from the heat and mix in your grated Parmesan and the butter.
Season well.
Plate it Pretty
Serve immediately into bowls.
Top with a scattering of beans, watercress, tasty little chunks of goats cheese and a little extra grated Parmesan.
I also quite like some freshly squeezed lemon over the top if you have.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
Lunch tomorrow is exactly the same as dinner but you will have used all the watercress. Risotto tends to continue absorbing so you might want to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of boiling water when you reheat it.