How to make Derry Clarke’s family-favourite vegetable risotto

Risotto is a family favourite as my daughter is a strict vegetarian and I know I can’t go wrong with a nice risotto with seasonal ingredients. We all love it and you can make it in so many different ways, depending on what is available in your pantry.

I always have some arborio rice in my kitchen, although carnaroli, and vialone nano are also great options to make risotto.

I obviously use a vegetable stock, but you may use a chicken stock, or simply hot water.

Enjoy finding your way to make your favourite version of our family favourite. This recipe will be a good guideline that you can adapt as you wish.

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Derry Clarke is a chef and co-owner of the Michelin-starred L’Ecrivain restaurant, in Dublin

MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Serves four

Ingredients
250g mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 shallots, peeled and diced
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
300g arborio rice
1 ltr chicken or vegetable stock (warm)
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp crème fraiche
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp tarragon, chopped

Method
1 Heat the olive in a heavy saucepan, and add the shallots, garlic and thyme and cook for two minutes over a low heat.

2 Add the uncooked arborio rice and stir until it is coated with the olive oil. Add the warm stock ladle by ladle, allowing each to absorb before adding the next.

3 Continue until the rice has absorbed all the stock (16/18 minutes). The rice should be soft with a slight bite.

4 Saute the mushrooms in olive oil in a separate pan. Season the sauted mushrooms and add to the risotto with the crème fraiche and tarragon and Parmesan. You can serve the risotto topped with a few rocket leaves, if you have them.

Kitchen Cabinet is a series of recipes from chefs who are members of Euro-Toques Ireland, who have come together during the coronavirus outbreak to share some of the easy, tasty things that they like to cook and eat at home #ChefsAtHome