Leek and bacon risotto
Meat mains
Leek and bacon risotto
A simple, undemanding dinner, this comforting risotto can easily by made for vegetarians without the bacon. A warm bowl of it is good on its own, or with a bitter leaf salad, or topped with a runny-yolked fried or poached egg. It works especially well with winter leeks, as their taste is strongest. And if you’ve got any leftover cooked chicken or a handful of mushrooms to throw in, that’s all to the good.
Ingredients
- 2 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g Arborio rice
- 100ml white wine
- 700ml hot veg bouillon stock
- 25g butter
- 3 tbsp Parmesan, grated
- 4 rashers streaky bacon, diced and fried until crispy
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Gently sweat the leeks and garlic together in some olive oil until soft for around 10 minutes. Add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the wine.
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Step 2
Turn up the heat and let the liquid bubble until nearly disappeared. Now add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time; stir the rice until the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladleful.
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Step 3
It is ready when the rice is creamy and cooked with a slight bite. Beat in the butter and Parmesan to your taste. Stir in the bacon, season and tweak with a squeeze or two of lemon juice.
