Sweet Pea Risotto

Sweet Pea Risotto

An adaptation from the French Room

 

 

 

Start with 1 TBL of butter (NOT margarine!) and a drizzle of oil in a sauce pot. The oil will prevent the butter from burning.

 

Then add about 1/4cup of onion diced as small as you can.

 

Right after you add the onion add about an equal amount or a little more diced ham, bacon, prosciutto, or something similiar. Of coarse if you don't eat meat or pork product you can leave this out.

 

Stir together for a couple minutes. It won't take long to soften because the onion is so small. Add some salt and pepper. Then add a couple TBL of minced garlic...more or less depending on your taste.

 

 

Stir to combine and then add 1 Cup Aborio Rice right away. If you cook the garlic for more than a minute it will burn and have no flavor. This is why we don't add it with the onion.

 

 

Once you stir in the rice and get it coated with the butter/olive oil mixture add about 1/4 cup of chicken or veg stock. You can also use water but stock gives a better flavor.

 

 

Your heat should be medium- medium high. You will continue to add liquid in 1/4cup-1/3cup increments, stiring almost constantly. It will take about 20-30minutes. For my 1 cup of rice I ended up using 3 cups of liquid. You could end up using a little more or less. I tasted my rice after 2 cups had been absorbed and I could tell is was almost done because it was softening but still firm. You want it to taste like rice.

 

Once it was cooked the way I like it I lowered the heat and added 1 1/2cups of peas. I used frozen that I thawed out.

I also added 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup half and half. Taste and season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

 

Stir all this together for a couple minutes until almost all the liquid is absorbed. It should be creamy but not soupy. If it's a little too liquidy letting it sit for a couple minutes will help to thicken it up a bit.

 

I served this with Tilapia with citrus oil