Ingredients (for 2 as a generous
main course)
- 1 pack of cooked beetroot, cut into chunks and thoroughly rinsed
- 1 medium-sized onion, very finely chopped
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pint of vegetable or chicken stock
- A good bunch of fresh thyme (to taste), finely chopped
- Approximately 150g of Arborio (risotto) rice
- Goat's cheese (to taste)
Freshly
grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt, black
pepper (to taste)
How to make
Start by
chopping the onion. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and cook the
onion on low heat until softened. Add the garlic and cook on low heat until it
is lightly coloured.
In the
meantime, prepare the stock in a small saucepan. Keep the stock on low heat to
keep it warm. Add the beetroot chunks and thyme to the onion and garlic and cook together on low heat for a few minutes. Pour in the risotto rice, stir thoroughly, and pour in just enough hot stock to cover the vegetables. Keep the stock boiling on low to medium heat and stir regularly. Add more hot stock whenever the previous batch has been absorbed by the rice. In approximately 15 minutes (some varieties of risotto rice take slightly longer) the rice should be soft and ready to eat.
At this
point, take the risotto pot off the heat and stir in the crumbled goat's cheese.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper, stir thoroughly, put a lid on the
risotto pan and allow to stand for a few minutes for the flavours to develop.
Serve with
freshly grated parmesan, a trickle of olive oil, a grind of black pepper and
some decent bread. You won't be disappointed!