Beetroot Risotto with Walnuts and Chilli Oil
It’s finally winter and I admit the beetroots in my garden are still pretty teeny, but the shops are full of beautiful big beetroots grown by farmers who got their act together earlier than I did! This deliciously sweet root vegetable is one of my absolute favourite risotto ingredients - it just makes the whole dish look so warm and bright and colourful and happy! I decided to add a chilli-infused oil to drizzle over the top of this before serving, because I wanted it to be extra warming, plus walnuts for crunch!
Risotto is a tricky thing to get right. A lot of people advocate constant stirring, and I used to cook my risotto that way until Luke told me about his method. When he makes risotto he barely stirs it at ALL. Instead, he shakes the frying pan to make sure the stock is evenly dispersed through the rice, and cooks it at a very low, gentle temperature. This method helps stop the rice from getting gluey and goopy, leaving you with glossy, very non-gloopy grains. Also, I’ve called for 5 cups of stock but feel free to substitute one cup of stock for a cup of dry white wine if you like! And now we’re on the subject of stock, I like mine nice and salty and often opt for store bought stock because I’m not usually organised enough to make my own. Depending on the type of stock you use, you may want to add some extra salt to taste towards the end of the recipe.
Beetroot Risotto with Walnuts and Chilli Oil
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 medium beetroots (cut both ends off each)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 cup of arborio rice
5 cups of stock
1 cup sharp parmesan cheese (plus extra, to serve)
1 cup of walnuts
For the chilli-garlic oil
1/4 cup of grape seed oil
1 large red chilli, finely sliced
8 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Method
Put the beetroots in a big saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the beetroot are soft when pierced in the centre with a knife. Drain and set aside to cool. Once cool, peel the skin off each beetroot and cut into dice-sized cubes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has browned. Add the arborio rice and fry for a further two minutes. Pour in just enough stock to cover the rice, give the saucepan a shake (don’t stir it), and set on low heat to cook until the stock has been absorbed.
Continue adding a little stock, one cup at a time, and waiting until it has been absorbed by the rice. Be careful not to let the pan fully dry out, or the rice may burn. Avoid stirring the rice as this can make the risotto gloopy. Have a taste of the rice after you’ve added four cups of stock. If it is still very al dente, add the remainder of the stock.
While the rice cooks, put the walnuts on a baking tray and roast at 200˚C for 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
To make the chilli-garlic oil, heat the grape seed oil, the large red chilli and the garlic in a small frying pan until the oil is bubbling and the garlic has turned a golden brown. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Once the rice is cooked through, remove from the heat, gently mix in the parmesan cheese and the cooked beetroot. Top with extra parmesan cheese, the roasted walnuts, and drizzle with chilli oil.