Green risotto

Risotto is pretty much a one pot-meal, easy on the pocket and so versatile. I was looking at my vege patch and saw a lot of healthy green vegetables and herbs, resulting in this nourishing risotto.

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ small onion, diced 2 sticks celery, peeled and cut into 1cm-long pieces 8 large leaves cavolo nero, stalks removed 200g silverbeet and/or spinach handful parsley, chervil and chives, roughly chopped 5 to 6 cups vegetable stock 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp butter 1½ cups faro, barley or arborio rice ½ cup dry white wine salt to taste ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add four cavolo nero leaves and the silverbeet leaves and cook until soft, about 5min. With remaining leaves, finely slice and set aside. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked leaves in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, celery and sliced cavolo nero leaves, stirring occasionally until soft but not yet brown, 3 to 5min. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3min. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, half a cup or so at a time, stirring constantly. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more.

After about 15min add a couple of spoons of the puree, continuing to add stock when necessary. Taste the rice as you go, you want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 25min total to reach this stage. When it does, stir in the rest of the leaf puree. Remove saucepan from heat, add remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning.

Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.