JOANNA'S FOOD: family cooking, from scratch, every day


Friday, January 29, 2010

Fabulous lemon risotto

We eat risotto at least once a week, as I always have plenty of home-made stock & we're not great soup drinkers.

This is a good way to give flavour to a plain risotto (which I usually scent with saffron), using ingedients which are generally found in my kitchen, unless I'm unusually disorganised.

Lemon risotto

Melt finely chopped onion, carrot, celery in a little oil. When all is softened, add arborio rice, then, after a few stirs, add a splash of wine. I generally add the hot stock in three diminishing dollops. The more you stir the smoother yr dish will be, but if you're busy don't fret if you don't stir, it's not a competition and it will still be delicious.

While this is going on, chop a whole lemon into pieces so that you can remove all the pips. Put them into a processor with a little rosemary (sage wd be good, too). Whizz to a pulp.

Stir this into your finished risotto together with a little Parmesan & a splash of cream.

PS remarks about stirring also apply to stock: use what you've got. But I urge you to make yr own, as it is no effort, takes no time, & is very thrifty and life-enhancing



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

8 comments:

pablopatito said...

Just to check, you include the peel for the lemons?

janelle said...

Ciao! I love making risotto, in the last few months it has gained a regular spot on our family table. I usually make mushroom risotto (and use some good ole bacon grease for the initial shallot/garlic mix. I LOVE your idea with lemons!!! And me too on the stock!!

Term Papers said...

The more you stir the smoother yr dish will be, but if you're busy don't fret if you don't stir, it's not a competition and it will still be delicious.

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Oooh, I second that. Lemon risotto is also good for upset stomachs, as I learnt from an Italian host of mine, many years ago.

silverpebble said...

That sounds fragrant and wonderful. Luckily my little girls like risotto so I might try this on the husband first and then on them...

Cabbage Tree Farm said...

What a delicious recipe, thanks for sharing.

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

Yum... I would really love some risotto right now. I will have to make a batch of this!

Joanna said...

Yes, Pablo, the whole lemon, peel and all. But do cut it up to take out the pips, as they're not good

Janelle, I'm the same, mushroom risotto is the most common in this house

so good to know, forkful, and somehow I'm not surprised

Silverpebble, I don't know how old your young are, but none of mine like lemony food, and they're old enough to know better. So I keep this one for the two of us, all the more for us, their loss! But your girls may be less picky

Thanks, CTF

Jen, thanks for kind words, and let me know how you got on

Joanna