GLORIOUS PEA AND MINT RISOTTO

This is a beautiful rich creamy risotto that will have your spoon going back for more than you would want to eat just so you can keep the flavour alive on your tastebuds!  Cooked slowly in a light chicken stock, with white wine and a generous dollop of double cream (or coconut milk) and layered with fresh picked garden peas, seasoned with fresh mint and a hint of Parmesan, this is a very comforting dish.

Our Self Sufficient Bit

Onions, garlic, mint and peas all from the garden and our homemade chicken stock from chicken Caracas's from the local farm and if we used coconut milk instead of the cream we make our own from organic coconuts, not local I might add!

Prep time 5 minutes / Cooking time 25 minutes

A one pot cook...

Ingredients

(Serves 2-4)

1 large onion finely chopped

4 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

300g arborio risotto rice, washed

200ml dry white wine

2 litre chicken or veg stock

300ml double cream or coconut milk

4 large handfuls cooked peas

Pinch sea salt

Pinch white pepper 

120g grated Parmesan 

9 mint leaves finely sliced

Cold stock v Hot stock

This really depends on how much of a hurry you are in, hot stock is better absorbed by the rice and creates a creamier finished risotto, but cold stock can be used it just slows the rice absorption down a little and that makes a less creamy risotto.  I do the hot stock method, but every now and then when I am juggling family life I just use the cold stock straight from the fridge.

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet, add the onion and garlic and gently soften for around 5 minutes, add the arborio rice and stir in until evenly coated, crank up the heat to medium high and add the white wine, simmer off the white wine until syrupy then start to add the stock a label at a time, stiring in until all the stock is absorbed, then add another label of stock, keep repeating this until the rice has absorbed all the stock it can but still has a al denote bite to the rice.

Stir in the double cream, peas, mint and Parmesan, taste and season with sea salt and pepper if you feel it needs more seasoning, I do but my husband does not!  You want the risotto to have a slow movement like a thick sauce that can almost hold its shape just not quite.  

That's it, eat with a spoon and enjoy, this will serve four or a wonderfully greedy two!!!