Champagne Risotto Nigella Lawson Food

SQUINK RISOTTO

Steps:

• I have said that I usually use white wine or dry white Vermouth in a risotto, but I must concede that the recipes here don't appear to bear this out. I've got an excuse with this one, too: the whole point of this risotto is that it's black, tinted by the squid ink (the squink of my title) and I had no desire to lessen its impact with some pallid white wine. But it's not just a question of colour: the squid ink is so richly, headily flavored that nothing less than a robust red would stand up to it.
• As strange as it might sound for so exotic a dish, this may even pass muster as a storecupboard standby. The rice, the broth and the squid ink (it comes in sachets, from a good fishmonger or Italian deli, or online source) can be kept easily. I have marked the squid-ring topping as optional, but even that can live in the freezer for a few months.
• While I am more than happy to eat it plain black, I can't help feeling cheered by the jaunty tricolore adornment provided by the squid rings, red chile pepper and parsley. Not that I'm being cheered is altogether the point of such a beautiful, sombre dish, the perfect date meal for Goths.
• Cut the squid (if using) into thin rings and set aside while you get on with the risotto.
• Heat the broth until almost boiling, and keep the broth warm in a saucepan on the lowest heat
• Warm the 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and soften the sliced scallions for 2 minutes on a low heat. Keep stirring and don't let them burn. Grate in the garlic and turn up the heat. Toss in the rice and turn it in the oil and so it is slicked and shiny. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble up over the rice.
• Wearing disposable vinyl gloves, snip in the squid ink and carefully dunk the squeezed out sachets into the separate pan of hot broth to get out any remaining ink. Then add and keep adding ladlefuls of hot broth to the rice, letting one ladleful be absorbed before adding the next, stirring all the while.
• When the rice has had 15 minutes, you can be less assiduous on the stirring front and get on with the squid, if you're using this. In a frying pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and the chile, until sizzling, then add the squid rings and cook, stirring or shaking the pan a little, for 3 minutes. Season with ground pepper, to taste.
• By this time, the black risotto should be ready, so divide it between warmed shallow bowls or plates, top with chile and squid, if using, and scatter with parsley.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Sauté mushrooms until tender and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to medium bowl. Working in 3 more batches, repeat with 6 tablespoons butter, remaining mushrooms, and salt and pepper.
• Bring 7 cups chicken broth to simmer in medium saucepan; keep warm. Melt remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and increase heat to medium. Stir until edges of rice begin to look translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add white wine and vermouth and stir until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup warm chicken broth; stir until almost all broth is absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is halfway cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in sautéed mushrooms. Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, if using. Transfer risotto to serving bowl. Pass additional Parmesan cheese alongside, if desired.

LEMON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Put the shallots and celery into a mini food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped. Heat half the butter, the oil and the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan, and cook to soften the mixture for about 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't stick. Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter. Meanwhile, heat the stock in another saucepan and keep it at the simmering point.
• Put a ladleful of the stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock is absorbed. Then add another ladleful and stir again. Continue doing this until the rice is al dente. You may not need all of the stock, equally, you may need to add hot water from the kettle.
• Mix the lemon zest and the rosemary into the risotto, and in a small bowl beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, Parmesan, cream and pepper.
• When the risotto is ready - when the rice is no longer chalky, but still has some bite - take it off the heat and add the bowl of eggy, lemony mixture, and the remaining butter and salt, to taste. Serve with more Parmesan if you wish, check the seasoning and dive in.