NORTHERN PLANNER

Lauren pointed out, and rightly so, that there are vegetarians out there. So number three in the recipe list is mushroom risotto.

Comfort food doesn’t have to take hours to prepare. This is a culinary hug in less than 30 minutes. Summery too. Great outside with a glass of something cool and dry. This a filling, addictive meal. Mushrooms are packed with ‘unami’ the elusive flavour that adds incredible depth and flavour to stuff. Parmesan has it too (it’s those littlem grainy bits). Wonderful

You will need:

A litre of vegatable stock  – it’s fine from cubes but try organic ones.

Big chunk of butter

olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

200g sliced mushrooms- open cup is best

300g rice. Purists will say arborio, long grain is fine

Wine glass of white wine or white vermouth

125g grated parmesan

2 teaspoons dried tarragon, or 2 handfuls fresh

A big handful of frozen peas

Bring the stock to a gentle simmer. In a pan, melt half the butter with 1 tblsp of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and fry over a low heat for 3 minutes. Add the mushroom and cook for three more.

Add the rice and stir well, coating each grain with the oil. Pour in the wine and simmer gently until it’s absorbed.

Add enough stock to just cover the rice and simmer gently until the stock is absorbed.

Continue stirring and adding the hot stock, waiting until until each batch is absorbed before adding the next. It’s done when all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender. If you run out of stock before before the rice is cooked, it doesn’t take 2 minutes to make more from a cube – or just continue with boiling water instead.

Now be quick – add the parmesan, herbs, frozen peas and quickly stir in. Turn the heat off and put a lid on the pan. It will all go outrageously creamy.

While you waiting, you could chop up a fresh salad to go with it – or toast some pittas that are great stuffed with risotto.

This meal just begs to be accompanied by really dry white wine. As you play with this one, you may prefer chives to tarragon, or even parsley. Works well throwing in mange toute or sugarsnap peas, or even asparagus instead of peas (or as well).

Washing up is a doddle – two pans and a chopping board.