Lemon risotto
By: Nigella Lawson From: Nigella Bites
- Prep time:
- 15 mins
- Cook time:
- 20 mins
- Serves:
- 2
This citrusy risotto from Nigella Lawson is satisfyingly simple to make and even more satisfying to eat
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Tips and suggestions
- Eat with...
- Italian Antipasti Plate
- Cooks Tips...
- This is comfort food on so many levels. For one, risotto has to be one of the most comforting things to eat. What's more, although everyone goes on about the finicketiness and crucial fine-tuning involved, I find risotto immensely comforting to make: in times of strain, mindless repetitive activity - in this case, 20 minutes of stirring - can really help. What you don't want to do is make risotto for large numbers of people, which is why I've indicated that this serves two (as supper in its entirety); if you want to call it into service as a starter, then reckon on its feeding four.
There is a more personal reason why this is comforting for me. The recipe comes from Anna del Conte (from her Secrets of an Italian Kitchen to be exact) and she, beyond any doubt the best Italian food writer around, is the person I turn to for bolstering and solace. Just reading her books provides instant, essential nourishment.
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Ingredients
- 2 Shallots
- 1 stick Celery
- 60g unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 300g Risotto rice, preferably Vialone Nano
- 1 litre vegetable stock, (I use Marigold stock powder)
- half an unwaxed Lemons, juice and zest
- 2 sprigs leaves Rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 Eggs, yolk
- 4 tbsp Parmesan, grated, plus more to sprinkle
- 60ml double cream
- 1 pinch sea salt, to taste
- 1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
Method
1. Put the shallots and celery into a food processor and blitz until they are a finely chopped mush.
2. Heat half the butter, the oil and the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan, and cook, to soften the mixture, for about 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't catch.
3. Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter.
4. Heat the stock in another saucepan and keep it at simmering point.
5. Pour in a ladle full of the stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock is absorbed. Then add another ladle full and stir again, continue doing this until the rice is al dente. You may not need all of the stock, equally, you may need to add hot water from the kettle.
6. Mix the lemon zest and the rosemary into the risotto, and in a small bowl beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, Parmesan, cream and pepper.
7. When the risotto is ready - when the rice is no longer chalky but still has some bite - take it off the heat and add the bowl of eggy lemony mixture, and the remaining butter and salt to taste. Serve with more grated Parmesan if you wish, check the seasoning and dive in.
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Latest Comment
Excellent. Did not have some celery but followed the rest of the recipe. It was FANTASTIC
Excellent recipe. I used Spanish paella rice and marscapone cheese (instead of double cream) as substitions from my larder and the results were still very good.