Roasted Carrot And Herb Risotto
Makes: 1 entrée. Serving size as seen.
ingredients
GROUP A: CARROT PURÉE
2 medium field carrots
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried mushroom powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp minced red onion
1/8 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 sprig of fresh oregano
1 sprig of fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups water
GROUP B: RISOTTO
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Arborio rice, rinsed
2 tbsp dry white wine (substitute - flat prosecco if you have any lying around, or white wine vinegar)
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Butter, for the pan
Salt and pepper, to taste
method
Carrot purée: Rinse, peel, and dice the carrots. Pluck the herb leaves from their stems. Roughly mince the garlic. Toss into a medium cookpot along with all the other Group A ingredients. Bring to a hard boil for 30 seconds, then simmer and cook till the carrots are soft enough to be mashed by a fork. Let the stew cool down to room temperature and then transfer it to a blender vessel. Blend into a smooth purée and add more water to thin it down till it is the consistency of a drinkable smoothie.
Risotto: Heat a pan on medium-high heat. Glaze the surface of the heated pan with some butter, pour in a third of the carrot purée, and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the rice and wine, stir to mix everything properly, and continue to cook till the liquid is almost entirely absorbed by the rice. Mix the remaining purée in 2 more additions, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan. Add water if the consistency feels too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste and some flakey Parmigiano cheese; stir to melt the cheese in. Stop cooking once the rice is al dente (is soft and cooked, but has a very slight raw bite to it).
Plating: Transfer to a pasta bowl or slightly deep dish. Garnish with fresh herbs of your choice, some ground black pepper, and more flakey Parmigiano. Eat warm.
