Thursday 29 April 2010

Wild food - guaranteed to make your mouth water

I had to share this because two days later I can still (sort of) taste the risotto with wild garlic I made after a walk in the Kent countryside - not far from Ightham Mote. It's was also the day I blogged about the School of Artisan Food so I was enthused!
The garlic starts off with a beautiful soft scent (especially in the sunshine) but then intensifies in the cooking without ever becoming acrid.
It's quite simple - if you know how to make a risotto that is. So here's my first attempt at a recipe (not including a recipe leaflet I once wrote for the Dutch Meat Marketing Board)

Wild garlic risotto (serves 2)
You will need -
  • Approx 75g butter (plus a bit)
  • About 125g of arborio rice
  • 1 glass of white vermouth
  • 1 litre of stock - vegetable or chicken
  • A big handful of wild garlic leaves
  • Parmesan cheese
Melt the butter in a biggish solid pan over a medium heat. When it's all melted add the rice and keep stirring until the rice appears to have absorbed some of the butter. It may 'foam' and will appear sticky.
Add the glass of vermouth and keep stirring. Again wait until it starts to appear thicker.
Add a big slosh of stock and stir.
In another pan melt a little more butter. Chop up the stalks of the garlic leaves and place in this pan to soften then take off the heat.
Keep going with the rice, stirring and adding stock. Each time wait until the stock is more or less absorbed before adding more stock.
Test a bit of the rice now and then until it is soft to eat.
At this stage, put the garlic pan back on the heat and chop up the leafy parts of the garlic (roughly, nice big peices) and stir them through the butter to wilt.
When the risotto is ready add the softened garlic to the rice and stir in. Taste and add a twist of pepper, maybe some salt if required.
Serve with parmesan shavings on top. According to the Times you could add pancetta...but it really doesn't need anything.

My mouth is already watering.

1 comment:

  1. What a great recipe and one I intend to try. Just found an article about the Lowenzahn (Dandelion) with recipes for salads, ganishes for sandwiches and syrups. Just been to the local Waitrose and they don't sell them!

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