Ingredients

Method

• 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
• 50 g butter
• 2 t fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch salt
• 250 g arborio rice
• 330 ml stout bottle
• 200 g butternut, cubed and roasted
• 150 g assorted mushrooms, sautéed
• 50 g parmesan, grated
• 1 onion, finely chopped

Method

Ingredients

Place the stock in a saucepan and bring to a slow boil.

Place half the butter in a wide-bottomed pan over a medium to low heat.

Add the onion, garlic, thyme and salt and sweat with the lid on until soft and transparent.

Add the risotto and fry for 5 minutes, then add the stout and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Add the stock, a ladle at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before each new addition, and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring continuously.

When the rice is starting to soften but still has a bit of a bite, add the roast butternut, sautéed mushrooms, Parmesan and remaining butter.

Tip from the Chef: When I teach my guys how to cook risotto, I insist that the stock be boiling when it’s added.

And the way I tell them to check if the rice is ready is to have them bite on a few grains with their back teeth – if they are left with a hard pip stuck in a tooth, it’s not done.