"beat the Blues" Blue Cheese Risotto
"Risotto is THE ultimate comfort food, it's like being hugged by your dinner. You can make do with a spoon and don't even need to bother with proper grown-up cutlery.
A bowl of this can (almost) make everything better again when your down."
photo by Jessica K
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 2 ounces butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces leeks, trimmed
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 ounces smoked bacon or 6 ounces pancetta, fat removed and diced
- 12 ounces arborio rice
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 1 1⁄2 liters chicken stock or 1 1/2 liters vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
- 1 lemon, juice and zest of
- 6 ounces blue cheese (see instructions)
- 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- fresh ground black pepper
directions
- NB: I like to use a fairly strong flavoured, but creamy blue cheese, like Gorgonzola, but Stilton is also nice. Stock-wise, you may need a little more or less than in the ingredients list.
- Bring stock up to a simmer.
- Halve the leeks and remove any gritty bits from inside the rings. Cut the leek into fine strips rather than semi-circles, of approx 1-2 inches in length.
- Melt half the butter with the olive oil and cook the leeks for approx 10 minutes over a low-medium heat until soft and tinged with brown.
- Add bacon to pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and rice, cook for a further minute or two, stirring the rice until it's coated in the butter and oil and starts to go slightly translucent.
- Add the wine to the pan, turning up the heat to bubble most of it away.
- Add a ladleful of hot stock to the leek and rice mixture at a time, stirring more or less constantly. Add more stock each time that most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add the fresh sage.
- Keep doing this for approximately 15 - 25 minutes, until the risotto is creamy, but the rice grains still have a slight bite. You'll need to start testing the rice after about 15 minutes, but it may take a little longer.
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice, zest, remaining butter, parmesan and blue cheese.
- Leave the risotto for another 2 minutes until rich, creamy and luscious. Season to taste with black pepper and salt if needed.
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Reviews
-
Very hearty and full of flavour! Just as risotto should be! -
Here's a great idea! Add a few walnuts in with the cheeses - delicious - and if you want to add a small handful of parmesan and parsley over the top to serve this risotto it is exquisite! Try it and see! Di Radhead -
This was great - the family loved it. Thanks! :) -
This was my first time making risotto and I was so impressed! It tasted so good that night and even better the next day. I'm going to make it for anyone who likes blue cheese, thanks for sharing! -
The taste was phenominal. In every bite you could taste the blue cheese, sage, and lemon. Made as stated with the exception of the white wine. Champagne was all I had, so I used that. It turned out the way it was supposed to but, I had trouble putting it all together. Not sure why.
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