Roasted Pepper Risotto
Making your own risotto is almost meditative. The smell of the onion and garlic, and the continuous stirring in the pot, are as relaxing as sipping a cocktail in a hammock… Well, sort of.
In any case, never feel rushed making a risotto. A risotto is a labour of love, no rush, and as you’ve opened a bottle of wine for cooking, you might as well have a glass.
This recipe is based on a recipe by the ever inspiring ladies of Give a Fork. The original recipe doesn’t use wine, so this can be left out as well. In this recipe we’ve used homemade Almond Milk, which is easy to make, and more natural than store bought.
To make this an easy dinner with friends, simply double the ingredients and plan ahead, grilling the peppers beforehand. Once you have the roasted pepper milk ready, you can stir away while catching up.
Ingredients:
Parsley (for garnish)
Directions:
Move the oven tray to the top shelf, and preheat your oven to 260 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray, and while the oven is heating up, half the pepper, deseed, and drizzle with olive oil. Place the halves on the baking tray, skin up.
Roast the pepper for 15-20 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as you want them charred not burnt.Remove from the oven and cover with foil while cooling (this process will allow the skin to come away from the flesh). Once they’re cooled, peel away the charred skin, and add the flesh to the OmniBlend jug. Add the almond milk, and blend on low speed until combined. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet on medium heat, add the olive oil, and sauté the onion and chopped garlic until golden brown. Take this slowly, avoiding too much heat to prevent burning. You want the onion to glaze gently. Add the Arborio rice, and give it a good stir to coat all the rice granules. They should have a bit of a sheen to them.
Now first add the wine, and once this has absorbed, add the stock ¼ cup at a time. It is important to be patient, only adding a little at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Keep adding until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft. This will take about 30 minutes.
Add 1/3 of the roasted pepper milk combination, stirring and cooking, and gradually add the remaining roasted pepper milk. This will create a creamy texture.
Dish the risotto in 2 bowls, grind some fresh black pepper, and garnish with parsley.
Buon appetito!
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