The Anonymous Widower

A First Risotto

I like risotto, but I’d never made it until last night.

The problem started because, I only had limited fresh food in the fridge and I needed to conjure together something from a pack of smoked haddock, asparagus, sprouts, tomatoes and spring onions. I found this recipe for spring onion and smoked fish risotto on the BBC Good Food site.

The ingredients I used were.

• 500g smoked haddock, cod or trout
• chicken stock, fresh, cube or concentrate, made up to 1.5 litres
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 450g risotto rice
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced diagonally (green included)
• 150g mature cheddar, grated

These quantities make enough for six, but as I’m only one, I made half and froze the other two packs.  Will they be OK?  Only time will tell.

I should say that the Waitrose risotto rice was a month past its sell-by date and I had to cut the mould off the chess.  But then if you are a non-driver in the middle of nowhere, you have to be thankful for small mercies.

The method was as follows.

1. Put the fish in a large frying pan. Pour over enough chicken stock to cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Allow the fish to cool a little in the stock, then skin and flake it. Add any leftover chicken stock to the poaching liquid and keep hot. (If you’re using trout, just skin and flake it and heat the stock).
2. To make the risotto, cook the onions in a little butter then add the garlic and risotto rice, stirring well to coat in the butter. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring each time to bring the starch out of the rice and give the risotto a creamy effect. When the rice is almost cooked, stir in the fish and spring onions. Stir in an extra knob of butter and the cheddar and serve.

The rice took 20-25 minutes to cook, but it was worth it. It wasn’t very difficult to get right either and it used just one frying pan. The latter is always welcomed.

The out-of-date food had no effect either.

Whether the frozen risottos are any good, I do not know.

April 14, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Food | Coeliac/Gluten-Free, Fish, Recipe