Ingredients

Method

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 190 g millet
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 4 - 5 cups hot vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 200 g deboned and skinless smoked haddock (optional), at room temperature
For the celery leaf pesto:
• 2 packed cups roughly chopped celery leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 60 g roasted walnuts
• ¾ cup mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Ingredients

Gently cook the onion and the celery in the heated oil and butter until very soft. Stir in the garlic. Add the millet and stir to coat. Pour in the wine and simmer fairly briskly until absorbed. Add the simmering stock, 1 cup at a time, and cook until absorbed, stirring fairly often. Stop adding stock once the millet is tender, but with a bit of a bite. If you want it softer, add more stock. Season to taste.

Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. If you’re using the haddock, place it on top of the risotto and dot with 1 T butter. Cover and leave to steam. Serve with the celery leaf pesto.

To make the celery leaf pesto, blend or process the celery leaves, garlic, nuts and oil to make a paste. Stir in the cheese and season to taste, adding more oil if necessary.

Cook’s note: The tiny millet grains work well in a risotto, gently swelling as they absorb the stock. Leftover pesto is also good with spelt pasta or on bruschetta.

Discover more risotto recipes here.