Risotto

This decadent and luxurious meal is the perfect example of how wonderful leftovers can be. On Sunday we had our first roast. Six of us got together, harmoniously prepared the bird and veggies then sat, drank wine and played board games whilst the oven did allll the cooking.

Between us, a pound of potatoes, a pound and a half of parsnips, a bag of carrots, a big bunch of curly kale and one organic chicken cost us £1.80 each. (The wine was a further fiver each but that’s an additional extra.) For the risotto, you only really need some arborio risotto rice but you can add anything else to make it go further from extra bits of cooked chicken to any bits of veg that need using up.

Risotto seems such an elegant and refined meal but it’s really just peasant food - cooked up by Italian mammas for their families for generations. It’s a very versatile dish, and is happy to have anything from shredded lobster to frozen peas folded into its silky depths.

It's not difficult to cook but it does require two things; patience and a damn good stock.

I used the carcass from the roasted bird to make this basic chicken stock. Very simply you cover all the bones and bits of skin (after you have picked it clean of every morsel of meat) with water and simmer it up with a peeled carrot, half an onion and some peppercorns. Chuck in any herbs you have as well. Simmer for an hour with the lid on, then skim off any impurities, strain it through a sieve and store in the fridge - or the freezer if you’re not going to use it in the next couple days.

For a veggie stock forgo the carcass and replace with more vegetables! Mushrooms are good to give it some depth - as are the stalks of herbs such as parsley or rosemary sprigs.

If you don’t fancy a risotto then this magic stock could be... a base for a healing chicken broth with dumpling perhaps, or maybe a warming stew with loads of autumnal veg. A chicken noodle soup would also be a comforting upgrade from the classic student stir-fry, and a good use of this magical golden stock.

Risotto

Serves 6

1 onion - finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic - crushed

1.2 litres of homemade chicken stock ( Make up the amounts/ replace using some veg stock powder and hot water)

400g of Arborio risotto rice

Leftover chicken scraps and veggies

2 handfuls of frozen peas (optional)

1. Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes in a lump of butter or olive oil.
2. Add the risotto rice and stir until the grains are glossy (about 1 minute.)
3. Splash in a glass of white wine if you’ve got it and let it bubble for another minute.
4. Put your stock in a saucepan and keep it very gently simmering. Then add it to the rice a ladleful at a time - ensuring each one is completely absorbed before the next. Stir constantly.
5. With the last ladleful, add your leftover chicken bits, veg and frozen peas. Season with salt, pepper and a bit of lemon zest.
6. Serve with a grating of cheese.