1. Risotto cakes
I am not a great fan of leftover cookery, generally finding that a discreet binning might have been a more fitting end. Leftover risotto is another matter. Squashed into thick patties, yesterday's risotto reheats enticingly in butter, forming a crisp golden crust outside while staying soft and creamy within. I sometimes roll them in soft white breadcrumbs before frying when they form a particularly inviting crust. Serves two.
leftover risotto - 400g
parmesan - freshly grated, 4 heaped tbs
eggs - 2
a small bunch of parsley
fresh white breadcrumbs - 2 large handfuls
a little butter and olive oil for frying
Stir the parmesan and the lightly beaten eggs into the cold rice. Remove the leaves from the parsley and chop them roughly (or at least not too finely) and stir them in. Put the breadcrumbs on a plate and drop generously heaped serving spoons of risotto into the crumbs, one spoon at a time.
Roll the rice around gently in the crumbs until the outside is roughly coated.
Warm a little butter and olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Drop the patties in, leaving a little space between them, and let them colour on the underside. Don't move them until they have formed a crust, otherwise they will break up as you turn them. Gently flip them over with a palette knife, and let the other side become crisp and golden. Drain briefly on kitchen paper before serving. Slide on to warm plates.
2. Risotto with purple sprouting and taleggio
Serves two.
chicken stock - 900ml
a small onion
butter - 50g
arborio or other risotto rice - 250g
a glass of white wine
purple sprouting or calabrese - two good handfuls
taleggio - 250g
a little grated parmesan
Gently heat the stock in a saucepan - it should simmer lightly while you are making the risotto.
Peel and finely chop the onion, then fry gently in the butter in a broad, heavy-bottomed pan. When the onion is soft and translucent, and before it colours, add the rice and stir it through the butter to coat the grains. Pour in the wine, let it evaporate, then add the stock a ladle at a time, allowing each one to be soaked up by the rice before adding the next. By the time almost all the stock is absorbed, the grains should be soft and plump yet with a firm bite to them. Season carefully. The total cooking time will probably be about 20 minutes, maybe a few minutes longer.
While the rice is cooking, boil the purple sprouting or calabrese in deep, lightly salted water for a minute or two. Stop as soon as you can easily insert a knife-point into the thickest part of the stalks. Drain carefully, so as not to break the tender heads. Cut each stalk into pieces about 2cm in length.
Break the cheese into large cubes and then stir it gently into the rice together with the broccoli. Check the seasoning and serve with grated parmesan.
3. Rice with cinnamon, apple and maple syrup
A pudding as comforting as an old teddy. Serves four.
arborio or other risotto rice - 150g
water - 500ml
full cream milk - 500ml
caster sugar - 3 tbs
a good pinch of cinnamon
a large apple
maple syrup
Put the pudding rice in a small pan and cover it with 500ml of cold water. Bring to the boil then continue to simmer until the water has almost entirely evaporated. Keep an eye on it. Pour in the milk, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and partially cover with a lid. Leave for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly and keeping a watch on the liquid level. It should still be very creamy at the end. Stir in the cinnamon, adding more to taste if you wish.
Grate the apple, peeling it if you wish, then stir into the rice together with the sugar. Leave for five minutes, during which time some of the remaining liquid will have been absorbed, then serve, pouring the maple syrup over as youvgo - at least 2 tbs on each.
4. Mascarpone rice with blueberries
The mention of blueberries in March won't please the more xenophobic cook, but our own season is absurdly short, and they are one of the fruits from which I will not be parted. Serves four.
arborio or other risotto rice - 150g
water - 500ml
full cream milk - 500ml
caster sugar - 3 tbs
mascarpone - 100g
for the blueberry sauce:
blueberries - 250g
golden caster sugar - 2 tbs
water - 3 tbs
lemon juice
Put the pudding rice in a medium-sized heavy-based pan with 500ml of water. Let it boil until the water has almost evaporated. Keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally.
Add the milk, bring back to the boil then lower the heat so that it simmers gently, partially cover with a lid, simmer and leave for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly and keeping a close watch on the liquid level.
Meanwhile, tip the blueberries into a pan, add the sugar, water and a good squeeze of lemon juice, then simmer until the berries burst. Continue until the liquid turns slightly syrupy, about 5 or 6 minutes. Set aside.
When the rice is plump and creamy, stir in the sugar and let it dissolve, then fold in the mascarpone.
Spoon into dishes and pour over the blueberry sauce.
5. Leek risotto with Noilly Prat pancetta
Leeks produce a particularly subtle risotto. The crucial point is not to let them colour - they turn bitter. Cook them over a low heat, with a lid if you wish, or maybe a piece of greaseproof paper on top. Either way, they must not brown. Serves two, generously.
leeks - 2 medium
butter - about 50g
arborio or other risotto rice - 300g
a glass of Noilly Prat
hot chicken stock - a litre
grated parmesan - 4 tbs
pancetta - 6 thin rashers
to finish:
a walnut-sized lump of butter
grated parmesan
Wash the leeks thoroughly, splitting them down their length and rinsing them under a running cold tap, then slice finely. Melt the butter in a wide, high-sided pan over a low heat and add the leeks to it. Let the leeks soften without colouring, stirring from time to time. (I sometimes find a sheet of greaseproof paper resting over the leeks helps them not to colour while they soften.)
Stir in the rice then pour in the Noilly Prat. Let the mixture boil until the alcohol has evaporated, then tip in the first ladleful of stock. Continue stirring, adding the stock as and when the rice has absorbed almost all of the previous ladleful. Continue adding stock, stirring regularly, until the rice is plump, tender and yet has a little bite left in it - a process that will take about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grill the pancetta, or cook in a non-stick frying pan (no oil necessary) until truly crisp. Cut into pieces about the size of a large postage stamp, leaving a couple whole. Fold the cut pieces into the risotto.
Stir in the final amount of butter, adding 3 tbs of parmesan as you go. Divide between warm dishes and finish with a piece of pancetta and the remaining parmesan.
