Broccoli Risotto

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Ingredients

• 2 echalion (banana) shallots, peeled and finely chopped for about 50/60g
• 2 stalks of celery, peeled and finely chopped (peeled means removing the string - use a potato peeler!)
• 200g risotto rice
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 125g trimmed brocolli florets
• 200ml white wine
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 60g freshly grated paremesan
• 1 tbsp "buttery" spread
• A pinch of saffron
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Method

1. Prepare the chicken stock and keep on a low simmer in a saucepan with the saffron strands
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy wide pan, then add the shallot and celery and soften over a medium heat for 10 minutes. You want the veg to soften, but not brown.
3. Add the rice, stir through and cook for a few minutes to ensure that the rice is coated well
4. Add the wine to the pan and stir until it has all been absorbed
5. Keep adding a laddle of stock to the pan and stirring, repeating when all the liquid has been absorted. About 10 minutes in, add the brocolli florets. The later you add them, the more "al dente" the broccoli will be. Be gentle with your stirring or you'll break up the florets into bits
6. When all the stock has been added, hopefully the texture of the rice should be soft, with a tiny bit of bite left to it. If the rice is still too hard for your taste, continue to add a ladle of hot water (in lieu of stock) and stir until it reaches the texture you want. This usually takes around 20 minutes from the point I start adding stock
7. Take the pan off the heat, add half the parmesan, the buttery spread and stir in. Cover with a lid and leave to rest for a minute or two
8. Season to taste (the parmesan and stock usually mean you won't need much salt) and then serve on warmed plates with the remaining parmesan sprinkled over the top