Pea, lemon & zucchini risotto; Mushroom, silverbeet & goat’s cheese risotto; Prawn & fennel risotto

Try these three risotto recipes: prawn and fennel, pea and zucchini, and mushroom and goat's cheese. Delicious!

Pea, lemon and zucchini risotto by David Herbert. Picture: Guy Bailey

These warming risottos taste of autumn. A handful of dried porcini mushrooms boosts the flavour of the mushroom version; soak them in warm water for 30 minutes first, then fry them with the onions. When making any risotto, don’t omit the final step of letting it rest; it’s where the magic happens.

Pea, lemon & zucchini risotto

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock

½ cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1¼ cups arborio rice

100ml white wine

Finely grated zest 1 lemon

1 zucchini, coarsely grated

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons parmesan, grated, plus extra for serving

2 handfuls pea sprouts

Bring stock to the boil; add peas, cook for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, cool and set aside. Reduce stock to a simmer. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft. Add rice, stir; add wine, and cook until it’s almost evaporated. Ladle in enough hot stock to just cover rice. Stir frequently; when most of the stock is absorbed, repeat process until rice is cooked (about 18-25 minutes; it should be soft but retain a little bite). Add cooked peas, lemon zest and zucchini 5 minutes before rice is ready. Stir through butter and grated parmesan, cover and rest for 5 minutes. Serve with extra parmesan and pea shoots. Serves 4 as a main; 6 as a side

-

David Herbert's risotto. Picture: Guy Bailey

Mushroom, silverbeet & goat’s cheese risotto

30g butter

350g mixed mushrooms (try Swiss brown and portobello, if you can find them), sliced

200g silverbeet, stalks discarded, leaves chopped

1 medium brown onion, sliced

1 cup arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

1 litre simmering chicken stock

100g soft goat’s cheese

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

60g toasted hazelnuts, chopped

½ cup freshly grated parmesan

Heat half the butter in a large frying pan; sauté mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add silverbeet; cook until wilted. Season and set aside. Heat remaining butter in large saucepan; cook onion, stirring, for 7 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat in butter. Add wine; let it almost evaporate before adding enough hot stock to cover rice. Stir frequently; wait until rice has absorbed most of the stock before adding more. Repeat until rice is cooked; it should be soft but retain a little bite. Add silverbeet, mushrooms, crumbled goat’s cheese and crème fraîche. Remove from heat, cover; rest for 5 minutes before serving. Season and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Serve with parmesan. Serves 4

-

Prawn & fennel risotto. Picture: Guy Bailey.

Prawn & fennel risotto

60g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced

250g risotto rice

100ml dry white wine

1 litre hot chicken or veg stock

250g peeled and cooked prawns

Zest 1 lemon

60g parmesan cheese, grated

Chopped fresh dill, to garnish

Heat half the butter in a saucepan; cook onion and fennel, stirring, for 7 minutes. Add rice; stir to coat. Add wine; let it almost evaporate. Add enough stock to just cover rice. Stir frequently; wait until rice absorbs stock before adding more. Continue until rice is cooked; it should retain a little bite. Add prawns and remove from heat; stir in zest, parmesan and remaining butter. Cover and rest for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with dill. Serves 4