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Posts Tagged ‘Spring vegetables’

Saffron Risotto with Spring Veg

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 June 2023| Leave a Comment »

We were lucky to be gifted some top quality Persian saffron by our friend Miriam and therefore couldn’t go past this recipe, and with asparagus still available we couldn’t resist doing this despite it edging into summer.

Wine Suggestion: As this is quite rich, but also has the fresh vegetables, it lends itself to a deftly handled new world Chardonnay. Au Bon Climat is our go to choice and their Wild Boy is a perfect expression with a good blend of butter, ripe fruits and a flinty, salty core.

Saffron risotto with spring veg – serves 4

  • 1.2 litres vegetable stock (we use Marigold Swiss Bouillon)
  • ½ tsp saffron threads
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • a knob of butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 350g risotto rice
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 50g freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serves

FOR THE VEGETABLES

  • 175g frozen broad beans, blanched and popped out of their skins
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • a knob of butter
  • 2 small leeks, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp dry white wine
  • 1 bunch of fine asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives
  • juice of ½ lemon

Bring the stock to a gentle simmer in a saucepan.

Heat a sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the saffron and heat for a minute, shaking the pan, until the threads are dry and fragrant.

Add the oil and butter to the saffron, then tip in the onion and add plenty of seasoning. Sauté for 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Stir the rice into the onion and cook for 1 minute to coat the grains in the oil, then pour in the wine and bubble for a minute, stirring.

Add a ladle of stock to the rice pan and stir until completely absorbed. Keep adding a ladle of stock at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding another.

After 10 minutes, and at the same time, start cooking the veg. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and butter, then add the leeks and garlic. Season with salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until tender. Pour in the wine and allow to bubble down.

Add the asparagus and a splash of the stock from the risotto and simmer for a couple of minutes, until bright green and tender but still crisp. Add the broad beans and peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs and lemon juice; season to taste.

While this is happening, continue cooking the risotto, adding stock as necessary. After about 25 minutes the rice should be al dente. Remove from the heat, stir in the Parmesan and season to taste.

Divide the risotto between warm plates and spoon the veg into a well in the centre, then scatter over some more Parmesan and serve. We like a drizzle of best olive oil over the top too.

(Original recipe from More Midweek Meals by Neven Maguire, Gill Books, 2022).

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Laksa with Spring Vegetables & Rice Noodles

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 13 April 2021| Leave a Comment »

Don’t wear a white shirt when eating this as lots of slurping is needed. A dish full of herbs, spring veg and a fresh spicy sauce, perfect on a cool Spring evening.

Wine Suggestion: This dish demands a good, dry Riesling like the superlative ones made by Martin & Britta Korrell in the Nahe, Germany. For tonight the “Slice of Paradise” Riesling, a less philosophical, more playful baby brother of their signature Paradies vineyard wine, but none the less for this; a taste of Spring in the glass too.

Laksa with Spring Vegetables & Rice Noodles – serves 4

  • 30g tamarind paste with seeds (it comes in a block)
  • 1-2 red chillies, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger or galangal
  • ½ a bunch of scallions, sliced, keep the white parts and the green parts separate
  • a small bunch of coriander, leaves and stalks separated
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
  • 400g mixed spring vegetables e.g. PSB, peas, green beans, mangetout, asparagus, spinach, radishes or baby carrots
  • 200g dried rice noodles, cooked according to the instructions on the pack
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce, or more if you like
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • a small bunch of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped, to serve

Bring a pan of salty water to the boil.

Meanwhile, put the tamarind into a small bowl and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Mash well with a fork to get a purée then push the tamarind through a sieve. Discard the seeds that are left behind.

Blend the chillies, garlic, ginger, white parts of the scallions, coriander stalks and lemongrass with the turmeric and cumin to make a thick paste. The small bowl of the food processor is good for this, you might need to add a little water to help it come together.

To make the broth, fry the spicy paste in the sunflower oil for 2 to 3 minutes over a medium heat, until it starts to stick to the pan. Add the tamarind purée, stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, boil the vegetables in the pan of salty water until just tender – 3 minutes should do it, then drain and divide between 4 deep bowls along with the prepared noodles.

Add the fish sauce and sugar to the sauce, taste and add more if needed. Pour the hot broth over the noodles and veg and garnish with the mint, coriander leaves and green scallions. You can add a bit of sliced chilli too if you like.

(Original recipe from Home Cookery Year by Claire Thomson, Quadrille, 2020.)

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