Beetroot Risotto with Goats Cheese

Making the most of the gorgeous beetroots this season, I whipped this up last week.  The risotto turns the most gorgeous bright pink hue once you add the beetroot in.  This will look beautiful on the plate sprinkled with the crumbled goats cheese.  They key to non-gluggy beautiful risotto is carnaroli rice, rather than arborio.  It will take a bit longer to cook but will be worth it.  Brown onions, leeks and/or shallots will work as the base and you could use a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche to finish instead of the goats cheese.  Boy and baby could not get enough!

Ingredients

500g beetroot, trimmed and peeled and cut into wedges

good knob of butter

1 small leek, finely sliced

2 shallots, finely chopped

400g carnaroli rice

200 ml dry white wine

1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock, warmed in a separate pan

50g extra butter

200g goats cheese

2 tbsp finely chopped dill

Method

Roast the beetroot in an oiled oven dish for 30-45 minutes (depending on size of wedges) until tender.

Heat the butter in a heavy based pan and fry the leeks/shallots/brown onion until soft.  Add the rice, stir to coat and cook for 1 minute.  Add the wine and allow to absorb.  Add a ladle of stock and stir until absorbed, continue until all or most the stock is used (around 20-25 minutes) and the rice is cooked but still a little nutty in the centre.

Remove from the heat and add the extra butter and put a lid on it and let it stand for 5 minutes.  Crumble over the goats cheese and dill and serve.

Serves 4’ish