Rice is a very versatile ingredient, filling and healthy. It is also excellent at taking up any flavours added to it. With lovely mushrooms and crispy pancetta (that’s posh bacon to you, kids) it makes for a popular and tasty dinner, or lunch, for all the family. With superfood watercress and brilliant red tomatoes, it all adds to your important five-a-day.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
1
Leek
2
Vine Tomatoes
1
Chestnut Mushrooms
2
Risotto Rice
1
Vegetable Stock Pot
(Contains Celery, Sulphites)
3
British Smoked Bacon Lardons
2
Garlic Clove
1
Mangetout
1
Baby Watercress
Cut the little root and green leafy bit off the leeks, slice in half lenthways and chop it into roughly ½cm slices. Chop the tomatoes into roughly 3cm pieces and cut the mushrooms into slices, set aside.
Add 2 tbsp of oil to a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot add three-quarters of the leek and fry for about 5 mins until just softened.
Add the arborio rice to the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 3 mins, stirring occasionally. Tip: If you have some leftover white wine, add 4 tbsp now and let the alcohol bubble off for a minute to mellow the flavour! Add the vegetable stock pot, 300ml of water, ½ tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 20 mins, letting the rice absorb the water, before adding more boiling water, a little at a time, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Tip: Boiling water keeps the rice cooking. You will need between 200ml and 300ml of additional water to add during the cooking time. We recommend having a pot of water boiling so you can easily add it in.
Bring another pot of water to the boil in preparation for the mangetout. Heat 2 tbsp of oil to another frying pan and fry the remaining leek, the pancetta and the chopped garlic cloves for 2-3 mins until browned. Lift out and reserve in a bowl. Add the mushrooms to the same pan and fry for 3 mins until softened.
Trim off the ends of the mangetout. Add to the to the boiling water. Cook for 3 mins, until just tender, drain.
When the risotto is nearly ready, add the pancetta mix and mushrooms to the cooked rice and stir together, keeping on low heat until warmed through.
LH: Mix the tomatoes and watercress together to make a side salad.Grate the parmesan and stir half of it into the risotto along with the mangetout. Serve your risotto with the rest of the parmesan scattered over the top and the salad on the side.