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Brown stock
50ml (2floz) olive oil
2 leeks
1 large onion
2 stix of celery
2 small carrots
mixed herbs i.e. rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage, fresh if possible.
3 cloves garlic
1 glass of red wine
1 450g (1lb) tin tomatoes
Handful dried porcini mushrooms
2 dessertspoons Swiss vegetable bouillon
1200ml (2˝ pints) water
Dark soy sauce
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Heat the olive oil in a large pan and start to sauté the leeks, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and herbs.
Do this very slowly and for about one hour stirring regularly. The idea is to slowly caramelise the vegetables and develop as much flavour as possible.
Take your time and the end result is worth it. After an hour add the red wine and reduce most of the liquid out. Then one by one add the remaining ingredients
except the soy sauce. Simmer slowly uncovered for one and a half hours. The stock will slowly concentrate and extract the flavours from it's constituents.
Pass the stock through a sieve and then it is ready to use. This stock keeps very well in the fridge and freezes for weeks so it's probably
best to make a double or triple batch and save some for future use. It takes
more or less the same time to prepare no matter how much you make.
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For the pre cooked risotto
A little butter
1 small onion
500g risotto rice
brown stock
For serving the risotto
A little butter
Handful of fresh basil
200g frozen or fresh peas
Chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)
Salt and black pepper
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To pre cook the risotto heat the butter in a large pan and sauté
the chopped onion until soft. Add the risotto rice
and cook it in the butter for a couple of minutes. Add some stock and cook it stirring regularly as the stock is absorbed.
Add some more stock and cook it until it has been absorbed into the rice. Keep adding the stock
in small amounts in this way until the rice is just undercooked. It should be just slightly hard to the teeth but
still chewable.
Take of the heat and cool.
To cook the rice for serving place the butter in a large pan and add all of the ingredients. Add a little more of the stock
and heat it through. Season with the salt and black pepper and serve. When it is plated up drizzle over a little more
of the stock to make it look loose, and moist. Sprinkle with veggie parmesan.
I have served the dish with mozzarella fritters but this is an optional extra. If you want to use them just dip stix of
mozzarella in flour, then an egg / milk mixture, then breadcrumbs and allow them to dry a little. Deep fry to order.
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