Oozy Courgette Risotto Food

CREAMY COURGETTE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a sturdy frying pan, add the onion and gently fry until softened. Stir in the grated courgettes and rice, increase the heat and sizzle while stirring for 1-2 mins.
• Add the lemon juice and a ladle of hot stock, and bubble over a medium-high heat while stirring constantly. When the liquid has just about been absorbed, add another ladleful of stock. Keep cooking like this for 20-25 mins until the rice is just tender and is creamy. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone and some seasoning, cover with a lid or baking sheet, and set aside for 5 mins while you cook the remaining courgettes.
• Heat the remaining butter and a splash of oil in a small frying pan. Add the diced courgettes, and fry over a high heat for 2-3 mins until golden and just softened. Divide the risotto between shallow bowls or plates, then scatter with the diced courgettes and any buttery juices, the pine nuts and a few pinches of lemon zest.

OOZY COURGETTE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Peel the onion and garlic, trim the celery and finely chop all three. Place a large saucepan over a medium-low heat.
• Place the butter in the hot pan with the onion, garlic and celery, a splash of oil, and a splash of water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for around 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Trim the courgettes, slice lengthways into quarters, then chop into small ½cm chunks and put to one side.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 800ml water. Add the stock cube and bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring to dissolve, then turn the heat down to low.
• Pick and reserve the basil leaves, then add the stalks to the pan of stock. Finely grate the Italian hard cheese.
• Once the vegetables are very soft but not browned, add the rice to the pan.
• Stir and fry the rice for 1 minute until translucent, then add the wine (if using) and keep stirring until it has been absorbed by the rice.
• Turn the heat under the rice up to medium, then add a ladleful of hot stock, avoiding the basil stalks - these are there to add flavour but not to be eaten!
• Stir constantly and continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, waiting for the rice to soak it all up before adding the next ladleful. Continue until you've used two-thirds of the stock.
• Finely chop the basil leaves and the chilli (deseed the chilli if you prefer a milder heat).
• Stir the chopped courgette into the stock, and keep adding it (courgette and all) until the rice is cooked and the risotto has a nice oozy consistency - if you run out of stock, use boiling water.
• Take the pan of risotto off the heat. Tear the mozzarella balls into pieces and stir into the pan with half the basil.
• Stir through half the grated Italian hard cheese, then season to taste with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Cover with a lid and allow to sit for two minutes.
• Divide the risotto between four plates, scatter over the remaining cheese, basil and the fresh chilli, then tuck in!