Chestnut Risotto by Theo Randall
I´ve been to Theo Randall at The InterContimental Hotel and I really enjoyed meeting him and eating his rustic Italian food and his cookbook Pasta. When I saw this recipe at the Great British Chefs Feastive App I was eager to try it as part of our first day of the year meal in Brazil. This is my second attempt to cook from this app in foreign soil. 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 of cassava root coarse flour, ham, chicken, nuts and dried fruits and of course plenty of sweet treats. The ingredients were easy to find. The cooked chestnuts, the main ingredient in this dish, were bought ready to use in a jar at the local susupermarket, a bit expensive, but worth it.
Here is the result: a deliciously creamy risotto, the salty bacon flavours 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!
- 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.
