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Beetroot risotto
Serves 3-4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium beetroots with leaves intact
- 1 small candy beetroot
- 1 small golden beetroot
- 1tsp vinaigrette
- 1 large banana shallot, finely chopped
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed to a paste with sea salt crystals
- 200g arborio rice
- 4tbsp white wine
- 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 15g goat’s butter
- 4tbsp double cream
- extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Method
You could replace the beetroot leaves with baby spinach or soft kale leaves if you like.
To cook the regular beetroot, first remove the leaves (place in cold water to keep them fresh), leaving a 2cm stem; then put them untrimmed in a pan (if you trim they bleed and loose flavour). Cover with water and add 1tsp sea salt crystals. Bring to the boil, half cover with a lid, then turn down to a gentle simmer for up to 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a pointed skewer. Drain through a colander and briefly refresh under cold water. The skin, root and stem ends will just fall off when gently coaxed (best done in the sink wearing rubber gloves to avoid staining). Chop the red beetroot into 1cm cubes.
Now cut the small candy stripe and golden beetroots into wafer-thin slices with a sharp knife or mandolin and toss each colour in a separate bowl, dressing each with half a spoon of the vinaigrette. Put the chopped shallot and olive oil in a heavy-based pan suitable to cook the rice in. Cover and sweat over a medium heat for 4 minutes until just turning soft but not browning. Remove the lid, add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes so it doesn’t burn. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains, add the wine and stir until it evaporates.
Start adding the hot stock a ladle at a time (you may need more liquid so have a kettle of boiled water on hand) and stir until absorbed before adding the next ladle. It will need patient stirring for about 20 minutes (you can do other things, but stay close to ensure it doesn’t burn).
After 10 minutes, add all the cooked beetroot and continue adding the stock and the water if need be. Test to make sure the grains are just soft but still have a little bite in the centre without being chalky. Stir in butter and season, add the cream and remove from the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Wilt the beetroot leaves in boiling salted water until softened. Drain well, roughly chop and stir into the risotto.
Serve with a mixed portion of the dressed raw beetroot added to the top of each plate; and a drizzle of olive oil.
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