Easy pea risotto

Risotto sounds like hard work, but it doesn't have to be. You can stir all the time if you like, but this recipe works just as well with a casual stir now and then. A bag of frozen peas is your friend here, adding flavour and vivid green colour.

As I may have mentioned, I love cheese, but I try not to rely on it in my cooking. Cheese can too easily become the default way of adding flavour in vegetarian food, but even good things are usually best in moderation.

When I do cook with cheese, one thing I've come to appreciate is the value of using something really interesting. Often it means that you can use less of it, too.

In this dish, I used thin slices of a semi-soft cheese and let them soften over the risotto, rather than grating it and stirring in to the rice. I find this way you can get away with using less cheese, as more of it seems to 'disappear' when you mix it in. Plus, because the cheese is still fairly unadulterated when you tuck into it, the nuances of the cheese don't get lost. (In a similar way, I add the white wine towards the end - it might sound like heresy to purists, but this way you need much less of it to get the taste.)

On this occasion I used Sharpham with garlic and herbs. It's a cheese from Devon - it also comes in a non-garlic and herb version, which would have worked equally well. But you could use any interesting cheese, even a blue cheese if you're in the mood. I think something slightly soft would be best, so that the cheese starts to ooze into the rice as it warms.

Ingredients 

Serves 2

1 onion
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
200g risotto rice
200g frozen peas
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried (optional)
2 bay leaves, fresh if possible
570ml/ 1 pint hot vegetable stock, home made or from a cube
100ml white wine
A few slices of interesting cheese, eg Sharpham (see notes above) (omit for a vegan dish)

Method

Finely chop the onion and add to a large saucepan with the oil. Fry over a medium heat for five minutes, then add the rice. Add the thyme, the bay leaves, and about a quarter of the stock, and give it a good stir. Stir every now and then, and add a bit more stock as needed. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, you can add some extra boiling water.

While this is happening, defrost the peas in a microwave or by simmering in just enough water to cover. Puree half of them with a little water or stock (or the cooking water if you've simmered the peas).

When the rice seems nearly ready, stir in the pea puree, white wine, and seasoning (go easy on the salt if you're using a stock cube). Cook for a few minutes longer or until the rice is cooked to your liking - I think it should keep just a hint of bite - and everything is piping hot.

Serve straight away, with the slices of cheese laid over the top.