Broad Bean Risotto Recipes

RISOTTO WITH PEAS & BROAD BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil and 25g of the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 mins. Stir in the rice and cook for a further 2 mins. Turn up the heat and add the wine, let it bubble to evaporate the alcohol.
• Once the wine has reduced, begin adding the hot stock a ladle at a time over a medium heat, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next and stirring continuously. The rice should always be moist, but not swimming in liquid. The process of adding and stirring should take about 16-20 mins, depending on what kind of risotto rice you use.
• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the peas and beans for 2-3 mins. Drain and set aside. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, Parmesan, peas and beans with some seasoning before serving.

FRESH FAVA BEAN AND SHRIMP RISOTTO

Steps:

• Prepare the fava beans, and set aside.
• Shell the shrimp and de-vein if necessary. Retain the shells. Salt the shrimp lightly, and set aside in a bowl (in the refrigerator, if you won't be making and serving the risotto right away). Rinse the shells, and combine them with five cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Strain and add to the chicken stock or water. Taste and add enough salt to make a well-seasoned broth. Bring to a simmer in a saucepan.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or a large, wide saucepan. Add the onion (or leek). Cook, stirring, until it softens, three to five minutes. Add the rice and the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle.
• Stir in the wine, and cook, stirring, over medium heat. The wine should bubble but not too quickly. When it has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock, just enough to cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often, until it is almost absorbed. Add another couple of ladles of the stock. Continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring not too fast and not too slowly, and adding more stock whenever the rice is almost dry.
• Taste a bit of the rice. It should be slightly al dente. Stir in more stock to cover, and add the favas and the shrimp. Cook, stirring, for another five to 10 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through but still moist (this will depend on the size of the shrimp) and the favas are bright. Stir in the parsley and another small ladle of stock. Remove from the heat, add pepper, stir for a few seconds and serve.

CHORIZO & BROAD BEAN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan, then add the bacon, shallots, garlic and chorizo. Gently cook for 8 mins, stirring occasionally so everything cooks evenly.
• Stir in the rice, coating all over with the cooking juices in the pan. Add just enough stock to cover the rice, bring to a simmer and gently cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock a ladleful at a time, and gently cook. Just before the final ladleful of stock, add the broad beans and stir through, cooking for 3-4 mins until tender. Remove the chorizo, slice thinly, return to the pan and mix through before serving.

FAVA BEAN AND BACON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cook the fava beans in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and plunge into ice-cold water to cool. Peel away and discard the outer shells and set the beans aside.
• Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and bacon and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the rice and beans and continue to cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
• Add enough hot stock to cover the rice and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until most of the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way until it is almost completely absorbed and rice is tender.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the grated Parmesan, and season to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan shavings.

COURGETTE & BROAD BEAN RISOTTO WITH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• To make the pesto, crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the pine nuts and pound to a coarse paste, then tear in the basil and mint, pounding again until they've broken down. Stir in the oil and cheese, then taste for seasoning - add more cheese if you like.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the courgettes, sprinkle in the chilli flakes and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 3-5 mins until the courgettes are golden and softened. Add the spring onions and lemon zest, and stir for a minute or two. Tip in the rice and stir to coat in the oil until translucent, about 2 mins.
• Pour in the wine, then cook for a couple of minutes until it's mostly evaporated. Add a ladleful of the stock and stir for a few minutes until it's absorbed. Continue adding a ladleful at a time for 20-30 mins, stirring continually, until all of the stock is absorbed.
• Stir in the blanched broad beans and flowers, if using, and warm through for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and stir through the parmesan. Allow to sit for about 5 mins, then swirl through half of the pesto. Any remaining pesto will keep chilled for up to two days.
• Divide the risotto between bowls and scatter with the extra basil leaves, extra cheese and another spoonful of the pesto, if you like.

FENNEL AND BROAD BEAN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Soak the rice for about 2 minutes and then rinse.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion until soft.
• Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the fennel.
• Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains with oil.
• Turn up the heat and add the wine stirring until absorbed.
• Add the broadbeans.
• Reduce the heat and add the stock a ladle at a time stirring each time until it has been absorbed.
• This should take about 15 or 20 minutes.
• Add the parsley and chives and stir.
• Remove from the heat and add the butter and season.
• Stir well.
• Add parmesan after serving.

BARLEY & BROAD BEAN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and gently fry for 8-10 mins or until softened. Stir through the garlic and cook for 1 min. Tip in the pearl barley and 600ml of the stock. Bring to the boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 35 mins, stirring regularly, until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and the pearl barley is tender. Add the remaining stock, a splash at a time, to loosen if it looks too thick.
• Roughly chop half of the podded broad beans (or pulse a few times in a food processor), keeping the rest whole. Stir all the broad beans into the risotto along with the lemon zest, mint, ricotta, basil and parmesan (with a splash more stock or water if it looks dry). Season, then serve in bowls with extra mint and parmesan scattered over.