Ingredients
| 50g butter | |
| 1 leek, chopped | |
| 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped | |
| 300g (1½ cups) risotto rice | |
| 125ml white wine | |
| 1½ - 2 litres vegetable, fish or chicken stock, hot | |
| 100g watercress (or use rocket leaves if unavailable) | |
| 400g smoked fish, flaked | |
| a good handful of parsley leaves, chopped | |
| grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon, plus extra for serving | |
| 50g crème fraîche | |
| lemon wedges, to serve |
It would be impossible to do an Italian rice feature and not have a risotto somewhere in the mix. In no way is this authentic, as watercress is not widely used and smoked fish is mostly limited to Sardinia. However, I used smoked mackerel and added watercress for a great combination. To boost the smoky flavour, I poach the skin of the fish with the stock, then strain before using. I don’t usually add parmesan to seafood risotto, but as this is a richly flavoured risotto it would work well here if you would like to use it.
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat half the butter in a wide saucepan over a low heat. |
| 2. | Add the leek and garlic, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until soft. |
| 3. | Remove the lid, add the rice and stir to toast until hot. |
| 4. | Add the wine and let it reduce by half, then add the hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until the stock is absorbed before adding the next ladleful. |
| 5. | Roughly chop most of the watercress or rocket, setting aside a few leaves for garnishing. |
| 6. | When the rice is almost cooked (around 18-20 minutes), add the fish, watercress and parsley, cook for a few more minutes then add the lemon zest and juice, the remaining butter and crème fraîche. |
| 7. | Cover with a lid and let the rice sit for a few minutes off the heat. |
| 8. | Remove the lid, stir vigorously, taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper or extra lemon juice to taste. |
| 9. | Serve in warmed plates or bowls, scattering with the remaining watercress and serving with lemon wedges. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Jessica Crowe