It has been so chilly and dark here the last few days. I’ve found myself missing the sun, but I’m also excited to see the leaves begin to change. The change of the seasons is also a great time to change up my menu a bit. I’m definitely a supporter of seasonal menus as I definitely crave different things in the different seasons.
On these rainy chillier days, it’s nice to have a cozy rich dinner. Risotto has been a favourite of mine for many years, and I thought I would make some as I haven’t made it in a little while. You can make all sorts of different kinds with different ingredients, it’s simple, pretty quick and affordable too.
For this risotto I decided to choose lemon, parsley, mushroom and fresh peas using chicken stock as the base.
What you’ll need:
5 cups of Chicken Stock
1 cup of Arborio rice (Risotto rice)
Salt & Pepper
Small Onion ( finely diced)
Parmesan cheese
5-6 Cremini Mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 cup of frozen or fresh Sweet Green Peas
1/2 Lemon worth of Lemon Zest & Juice
2-3 branches of freshly chopped Parsley
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
- Start by pouring the chicken stock into a small pot and setting it to low heat to begin warming. The risotto will cook more evenly if the stock is warmed before adding it.
- In a deep sided pan add in your butter and olive oil and begin cooking your onions. Once they have begun to clarify add in the sliced mushrooms.
- Once the mushrooms are mostly cooked you can add in your peas.
- When the peas have cooked you are going to push all of your ingredients to one side of your pan and put your cup of arborio rice into the pan. Let the rice warm for about 2 minutes while gently stirring it, careful not to mix it yet with the other ingredients. This step allows the rice to sort of toast and it will cook a lot easier.
- Once you have toasted your rice you can combine it will the other ingredients in the pan and begin adding the stock. Add the stock about 1/2 to 1 cup at a time allowing each time for the stock to absorb into the rice. The consistency will begin to thicken and then you can add more. This process will take about 20 minutes. Keep the heat low to medium. Slower is better when it comes to adding the stock as it will ensure fully evenly cooked rice without crunchy pieces.
- When you have added about half of the stock you can add in the lemon juice and zest as well as the salt and pepper, and parsley. Save some pieces of parsley to use as garnish at the end.
- Once all of the stock has been added take a taste test to ensure the rice is fully cooked and not crunchy, if it is at all crunchy you can add a little bit of water and allow that to absorb. The finish product should be rich, thick, and creamy, not soupy.
- As a final step grate some fresh Parmesan and top it with some extra fresh chopped parsley.
That’s it! A rich creamy delicious warm dinner. Lovely served with a fresh salad, baguette, and some white wine, or just on its own. The lemon zest and lemon juice combined with parsley keep this risotto feeling a little lighter and fresh than some of the heavier risottos. A wonderful meal for the cooler months.
Let me know if you give this one a try I’d love to hear what you think of it!
Write soon,
Hannah B.L.
HBLogs 