Pea and Mint Risotto with Lemon

Ingredients

• 320g arborio risotto rice
• 300g frozen peas
• 150ml dry white wine
• 1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 40g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lemons, zest of both, juice of one
• 60g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• 20g fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 100g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 5g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• Parmesan, extra, finely grated, to serve
• extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle, to serve
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• fresh mint leaves, extra, to finish
• ciabatta, to serve
• rocket salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon, to serve

Method

1. Pour the hot vegetable stock into a saucepan and keep it at the gentlest simmer over a low heat — cold stock shocks the rice and stalls the cook, so it stays hot the whole way through.
2. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a wide, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a good pinch of salt and cook for 6–7 minutes until soft and translucent, no colour — you want sweetness, not caramel.
3. Stir in the grated courgette and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, until the moisture has cooked off and the mixture looks glossy rather than wet. This is hidden body for the risotto — it melts in.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant — don't let it catch, burnt garlic turns the whole pan bitter. Tip in the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains are lightly toasted and slick with fat; you'll see the edges turn translucent with a white pearl in the middle.
5. Pour in the white wine and stir constantly for about 2 minutes until fully absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell has cooked off.
6. Now add the hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until each addition is almost absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 18–20 minutes — the rice should be just tender with a slight bite at the centre, and the whole pan should move like a slow wave when you shake it.
7. While the risotto works, make the crushed pea spoon-over. Put the 100g of peas in a small bowl, pour over boiling water and leave for 2 minutes, then drain. Crush roughly with a fork, stir through the chopped mint and extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. With about 3 minutes of cooking time left, stir the 300g of frozen peas and the broad beans straight into the risotto. Keep stirring until everything is bright green and warmed through — any longer and the peas go khaki.
9. Pull the pan off the heat. Stir in the remaining butter, the grated Parmesan, all the lemon zest and the juice of one lemon — off the heat keeps the cheese silky rather than stringy. The risotto should be loose and flowing; if it looks tight, loosen with a final splash of hot stock. Taste, season, taste again — adjust the salt now, not at the table, and remember the Parmesan is already salty.
10. Spoon the risotto into warm bowls and top each with a generous spoonful of the crushed pea and mint mixture. Scatter over extra torn mint leaves and a final shower of Parmesan, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and serve straight away with lemon wedges, ciabatta and a sharply dressed rocket salad alongside.