Creamy, cheesy, herbed, delicious risotto… This is officially one of my all time favourite weeknight dishes. So simple to make, so packed full of punchy fresh flavours and wonderfully indulgent to eat. Perfecto!
In fact, this risotto dish is so good, it can even bag you a boyfriend. FACT. This was the first ever meal I cooked for Tim, and bowled over by my culinary skills, he knew I was a keeper. WARNING: this may lead to lifelong cooking every night forever – just make sure he does the washing up!
Right now, I am waiting impatiently for this risotto to warm up in the oven. I cooked it last night for the photo shoot, but then had to dash out before I could scoff the lot. I did have many essential tastings, however!
The scent of warm thyme is slowly filling the kitchen…conjuring up memories (or dreaming for!) long, balmy Mediterranean evenings filled with good food and good wine, stretching out into the night. Heaven.
Just look at that prosciutto sitting on the top there. Crisp and salty, adding a delicious tang to the mellow cheese and delicate herbs. There is something about a risotto which is immensely satisfying. Is it the slow process, therapeutically stirring the rice while sipping a glass (or two) of red, whilst chatting away with friends? Or that even a relatively small amount is so pleasingly filling? I also love that you can throw just about anything into a risotto. Swap sherry for wine, asparagus for mushrooms, arborio rice for pearl barley, gouda for parmesan…
Wait – is that the oven timer? It’s time to devour!
Are you a fan of risotto? What are your favourite weeknight meals? Please share with a hungry girl!
- 20g butter
- 40ml olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 400g arborio rice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 125ml sherry (or brandy, cognac)
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 bunch of thyme
- 2 bunches of asparagus tips
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 40g gouda cheese, grated (or gruyere)
- Heat the butter and half the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.
- Add the rice and paprika and stir. Add the sherry, bring to the boil and simmer until absorbed.
- Add 3 thyme sprigs to the risotto. Pour a ladleful of the chicken stock and stir constantly. Once absorbed, add another ladleful and continue stirring. Continue in this way until all the chicken stock is used and the rice is cooked (about 30 minutes).
- About 10 minutes before the rice is cooked, place the asparagus and prosciutto on a baking tray and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Place under a grill until the prosciutto is crisped.
- Remove from the grill and slice each asparagus tip into three pieces. Break the prosciutto into shards.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove from the heat. Add the asparagus, remaining thyme leaves (taken off the stalks and chopped) and cheese. Season and stir through.
- Serve in bowls and top with the prosciutto shards.
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