Pea and Mint Risotto with Lemon

• 320 garborio risotto rice
• 300 gfrozen peas
• 150 mldry white wine
• 1.2litres hot vegetable stock
• 1white onion, finely diced
• 3garlic cloves, finely grated
• 40 gunsalted butter
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 30 mllemon juice
• 60 gvegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
• 20 gfresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 100 gfrozen peas
• 1 tbspextra virgin olive oil
• 5 gfresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 150 gfrozen broad beans
• 1courgette, coarsely grated
• Fine salt, to taste
• 1 tbspolive oil (optional)
• 1lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
• 10 gmint leaves, hand-torn, optional (optional)
• 1small ciabatta (optional)
• 200 grocket (optional)
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons (about 4 g)
• 1 tbspolive oil, for the optional rocket salad (optional)
• 1 tbsplemon juice, for the optional rocket salad (optional)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Pour 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. 2Heat 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. 3Stir 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. 4Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant; don't let it catch. 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. 5Pour in the white wine and stir constantly for about 2 minutes until fully absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell has cooked off.
6. 6Now 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. 7For the topping, cook the separate 100 g peas in a small pan of boiling water for the time stated on the packet, then drain. Crush roughly and stir through the 5 g chopped mint and 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Season and keep warm.
8. 8Add the 300 g peas and broad beans to the risotto for the final 4–5 minutes, or the cooking time on their packets, until piping hot. Add another splash of hot water if the rice needs loosening.
9. 9Pull the pan off the heat. Stir in the remaining butter, 50 g of the vegetarian hard cheese, all the lemon zest and the lemon juice, adding it gradually to taste; 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, then remember the Parmesan is already salty.
10. 10Spoon into bowls and top with the crushed pea mixture. Scatter over the 20 g torn mint and reserved 10 g cheese. Add the optional extra mint, oil and lemon wedges if using. Serve the optional ciabatta and rocket alongside, dressing the rocket with its listed oil and lemon juice.

Per serving

kcal

703

protein

21.7g

fibre

8.2g

carbs

91.2g

fat

23.9g