Chestnut Risotto by Theo Randall, this post had suddenly disappeared from blogger – not sure what happened as I was travelling at the time of publication. So here it is again.
I´ve been to Theo Randall at The InterContimental Hotel and I really enjoyed meeting him, eating his rustic Italian food and his cookbook Pasta. When I saw this recipe at the Great British Chefs App I was eager to try it as part of our first meal of the year in Brazil, where is traditional to have a feast after the midnight celebratory fireworks. This is my second attempt to cook from this app in foreign soil. The ingredients were easy to find. The cooked chestnuts, the main ingredient in this dish, were bought already cooked in jar at the local supermarket, a bit expensive, but worth it. The recipe is described as a starter, but as we were having an informal help-yourself kind of meal, so I prepared it as a side dish. We had a mix of dishes at the table including some Brazilian chillies; farofa which is a Brazilian side dish made using cassava root coarse flour; lamb , chicken, seafood, nuts and dried fruits and of course plenty of sweet treats.
I´ve been to Theo Randall at The InterContimental Hotel and I really enjoyed meeting him, eating his rustic Italian food and his cookbook Pasta. When I saw this recipe at the Great British Chefs App I was eager to try it as part of our first meal of the year in Brazil, where is traditional to have a feast after the midnight celebratory fireworks. This is my second attempt to cook from this app in foreign soil. The ingredients were easy to find. The cooked chestnuts, the main ingredient in this dish, were bought already cooked in jar at the local supermarket, a bit expensive, but worth it. The recipe is described as a starter, but as we were having an informal help-yourself kind of meal, so I prepared it as a side dish. We had a mix of dishes at the table including some Brazilian chillies; farofa which is a Brazilian side dish made using cassava root coarse flour; lamb , chicken, seafood, nuts and dried fruits and of course plenty of sweet treats.
Here is the result: a deliciously creamy risotto, the salty bacon flavors the rice and the chestnut adds a bit of crunchiness and a slight sweetness to this dish, It´s easy to prepare. Just add the stock, one ladle at the time, and this dish comes to life within 30 mins. Serve immediately once is ready, it should have a creamy texture. Even though is an autumnal dish, it went down a storm under the Brazilian High Summer. What a great start of the year!
English Chef, Italian dish, Made in Brazil
Chestnut Risotto
Ingredients
0.5 red onion, chopped
0.5 celery stick, chopped
75g of pancetta, cubed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tbsp of olive oil
200g Arborio risotto rice
800 ml of chicken stock
100 g of chestnuts, cooked, peeled and finely chopped
50ml of Brandy
75gr of unsalted butter
100g of grated parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Soften the onion, celery, pancetta and rosemary in olive oil over a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the risotto rice and cook for 5 minutes
- Bring the stock to a simmer in a separate pan. Add to the rice pan, ladle by ladle, stirring continuously for 15 minutes
- Make sure that each bath of stock is absorbed before adding the next. When all the stock has been added, add the chestnuts with the brandy
- Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the rice has a bite but no crunch. It´s al dente. Add in the butter, Parmesan and some black pepper. Serve immediately.
