Recipe: Mushroom & Leek Risotto

This creamy risotto is great for a quick and easy midweek supper simply served with a leafy green salad and some warm ciabatta bread. Replace the mushrooms with small vine tomatoes fried until soft, if preferred.

Serves 4

Ready in 45 minutes

55g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

225g risotto rice

900ml hot vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

175g button mushrooms, wiped

2-3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Heat half the butter and the oil in a large deep frying pan. Add the sliced leeks and garlic and fry over a medium-high heat until softened but not brown. Stir in the rice and cook for one minute.

2 Add a ladleful of the hot stock to the pan and simmer gently, stirring all the time. When all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladleful of stock. Continue adding the stock in this way until the rice is tender and has a creamy texture – this will take about 20 minutes.

3 Heat the rest of the butter in a separate frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the risotto and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 Serve the risotto in warmed bowls topped with the fried mushrooms, chopped parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

This article appears in our Feb/Mar 2012 issues - click here to read the All Things Local issue of your choice.