Mark Hix recipe: Wild garlic spelt risotto

Serves 4-6

Mark Hi
Saturday 29 March 2014 01:00 GMT
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Wild garlic spelt risotto makes a great starter or vegetarian main course
Wild garlic spelt risotto makes a great starter or vegetarian main course (Jason Lowe)

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This tasty, cheap dish makes a great starter or vegetarian main course. The puréed wild garlic comes into play here, giving the risotto a vibrant green colour.

1 large onion, peeled, halved, finely chopped
2tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
160-180g spelt, soaked in cold water for a couple of hours
1.5ltrs vegetable stock, or a couple of good stock cubes dissolved in the same amount of boiling water
A handful of wild garlic leaves and stems, washed and roughly chopped
A couple of tbsp of wild garlic purée
80g unsalted butter, diced

For the wild garlic purée

2-3 handfuls of wild garlic leaves and stems, washed and dried
120-150ml rapeseed oil

First make the purée: simply blend the wild garlic in a liquidiser with the rapeseed oil, until smooth, then it can be stored in a sterilised preserving jar in the fridge for up to six months.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and gently cook the onion for 2-3 minutes, without colouring. Drain the spelt and add it to the onion; season, then gradually add the stock, ensuring each addition has been absorbed before adding the next.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the spelt is tender but not too soft. Add a couple of tablespoons of the purée, the wild garlic and the butter. The risotto should be a little sloppy; add more stock if you need to and season to taste. Serve immediately.

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