Sam Harrington-LoweThere are a few things that mark the final end of winter and the reality of spring, and even summer just around the corner. And many of those things are growing in the ground.
This fresh pea risotto recipe has been created with British peas in mind, straight from the plant. But it can easily be made with frozen peas, all year round.
Peas are an excellent source of plant-based protein. They’re also a valuable source of fibre, and rich in iron. There’s a lot of power packed into those little green balls.
FRESH PEA RISOTTO RECIPE
This easy-ish fresh pea risotto recipe is quick to whip up, and tastes like summer in a bowl. Pair with a Pinot gris, or a fat-flavoured Chardonnay. Elderflower cordial is a good match too, if you’re not on the vino.
Ingredients
25g butter
A slug of olive oil
1 large shallot, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic
220g fresh (or frozen) peas
200g of decent risotto rice
Small glass of white wine
Around 1 litre of warm veg stock
1 lemon
Fresh herbs – mint, thyme, basil are all good
50g parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Method
- If you’re using fresh peas, give them a quick blanch in rolling boiling water and then plunge into some iced water for 10-20 seconds. Remove and drain. This will keep them a beautiful bright green colour.
- At this stage I personally like to take a handful of those peas and blitz with a bit of veg stock, to make a small amount of pea puree. It’s not vital, if you just want to keep things simple, but it does give the risotto a lovely colour and depth of sweet pea flavour.
- In a sturdy cast iron pan or similar, add a good slug of olive oil and the butter and gently sweat the diced shallots and garlic to release the flavours. Cook gently for a few minutes to soften.
- Add the rice, and stir around to coat the rice in the buttery oil. Once the rice is hot, and before it starts to stick, add the white wine and deglaze the pan.
- Time to add the herbs, and do this quickly now. This is also the time to add the pea puree if you’re going with that.
- As the mixture in the pan starts to thicken in the wine/pea puree, start to add your stock slowly, stirring gently as you go. Keep doing this each time the risotto starts to run a bit dry, but do go easy. You don’t want to smash up the rice.
- After about 10 minutes, add the peas, salt and pepper to taste, and the Parmesan. Keep the risotto moving gently, and add more stock if needed. But your risotto should be pretty much cooked by now. You want the rice to have a bit of a bite, not turn to mush, so easy with the stock. Taste test your rice for texture and seasoning.
- Once cooked, serve in a flat open bowl. Finish off according to taste – I love a bit of fresh mint on top, as well as a squeeze of fresh lemon and a bit of zest. More Parmesan is never a bad idea. You could add pea shoots, fresh basil, or fresh thyme. Make up your own magic.
- Pour yourself a glass of something cold and fresh, and enjoy a bowl of healthy green summery flavours. Yum!
Lili Lowe
The Tonic
Add comment