Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Lemon Risotto


The ultimate comfort food!! Really there are no words to describe the yumminess of this recipe.

2 shallots
1 rib of celery
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/3 cups risotto rice , Arborio
approx. 1 quart vegetable stock
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
needles from 2 small sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons heavy cream
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Put the shallts and clery into a mini food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped mush. Heat half the butter and oil and the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan, and cook to soften the mixture for about 5 min. making sure it doesn't stick. Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter. Meanwhile, heat the stock in another saucepan and keep in at the simmering point.

Pour a ladleful of stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock in absorbed. Then add another ladleful and stir again. Continue doing this until the rice is al dente. You may not need all the stock, equally, you may need to add hot water from the kettle.

Mix the lemon zest and rosemary int o the risotto, and in a small bowl beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, Parmesan and cream and pepper.

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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