Mondays are long. I finish my volunteering duties at 7pm and by that time have little energy or effort to put into my food. This risotto has become my saviour on days like this.
Now, many people (past-me included) are under the impression that risotto is difficult. With the help of this Guardian article and the writings of Ms Jack Monroe, I soon learnt that this isn't the case. Once you have an understanding of the process, it becomes simple to put together this dish in under half an hour on a week night. It's a store-cupboard staple and I'm so happy that I've finally mastered it.
One main change in my mindset has been to set aside any fussiness with regard to the variety of rice - and, yes, I'm aware this is contrary to the advice given in the Guardian article linked above, roll with me. My kitchen idol, Jack Monroe, says that you can use bog-standard basic rice when making risotto. At first I was aghast, refusing to consider anything other than arborio rice, but I soon saw sense. At 45p/kg compared to £2/kg*, long grain rice is far friendlier to a volunteer's budget. Plus, rice is rice at the end of the day (purists, please don't shoot me).
One main change in my mindset has been to set aside any fussiness with regard to the variety of rice - and, yes, I'm aware this is contrary to the advice given in the Guardian article linked above, roll with me. My kitchen idol, Jack Monroe, says that you can use bog-standard basic rice when making risotto. At first I was aghast, refusing to consider anything other than arborio rice, but I soon saw sense. At 45p/kg compared to £2/kg*, long grain rice is far friendlier to a volunteer's budget. Plus, rice is rice at the end of the day (purists, please don't shoot me).
The roasted tomato aspect of this dish came from a necessity to use up what’s left of the tomatoes I bought last week. As I'm away at the weekend, the tomatoes aren't at their best when I return. It’s always at this stage that I blend or roast. Waste not, want not, and all that.
Anyway, on to the recipe. This makes one relatively large portion and can easily be doubled.
The ingredients you’ll need are:
- A handful of tomatoes - any small variety, I used cherry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil, shredded
- Half an onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil (alt. veg oil/butter - whatever you fancy)
- 625ml stock - I use half a vegetable oxo cube
- 100g long grain rice
- A small glass of white wine (nice addition but not necessary)
- 25g (guestimate) of olive oil spread (or butter, both work)
- 25g Grana Padano or Parmesan plus extra for topping
The method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180℃. In a bowl, cover the tomatoes with a tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Move them onto a tray and put in the oven to roast whilst you cook the risotto. I find that 180℃ on my fan oven roasts them perfectly in twenty minutes, you may need to experiment a little to find the right temperature on your own oven.
Onto the risotto. This should take 20-25 minutes to cook and you are pretty much glued to your stove-top. Bring in your laptop and use the time to catch up with YouTube videos or plug into a podcast - enjoy the time you spend in the kitchen!
Before you make a start, prepare all the ingredients, right down to shredding the basil and grating the cheese. It makes the whole process a lot smoother if everything is to hand as you go.
In one pan, bring the stock to the boil. I keep it at a rolling boil throughout, you can reduce it to simmering point if you prefer.
At the same time, melt the tbsp of olive oil (or alternative) in a big, deep pan. Toss in the onion, heat through until clear, then add the rice. On a medium-high heat stir the rice, ensuring that it's covered in the oil. Keep it moving until it turns transparent, being careful not to burn it (I have made this mistake before, ick!)
If you choose to use a small glass of white wine, now is the time to add it to the pan. Keep stirring on a high heat until the wine has evaporated. Then start adding the stock, roughly a ladleful at a time. I do not currently possess a ladle so, for me, this step is guestimated. Add some stock and stir continuously until absorbed. Draw a line through the centre of the pan to part the rice, if it moves together slowly, then it’s time to add another ladle of stock. Add, stir, repeat.
Once you've used up roughly three quarters of your stock, the rice should be starting to look like risotto. At this point I begin adding smaller quantities of stock and, once it's absorbed, checking by taste to see if it’s ready. The rice should be soft with a little bite. Keep adding more stock until it’s cooked to your personal preference.
Remember to keep an eye on your tomatoes - you want them to be squidgy and piping hot to serve on top of your risotto.
Remember to keep an eye on your tomatoes - you want them to be squidgy and piping hot to serve on top of your risotto.
When the risotto is cooked, remove it from the heat. Add the 25g olive oil spread/butter and 25g of Grana Padano to the pan, and beat vigorously, until the risotto is all lovely and creamy. If you haven't done so already, now is the time to get the tomatoes out of the oven.
Transfer to a bowl, top with the roasted tomatoes, shredded basil, a sprinkling of grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
If you try out this recipe for yourself, I’d love to see! Let me know on Twitter (@PoppySherlock) or Instagram (@poppyflaxman).
*These prices are from Tesco where I do my monthly staples shop. Obviously it varies depending on where you shop.
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