Friday Feast - Prawn, pea and mint risotto

This yummy risotto is based on a Jamie Oliver recipe, I found it in a TV guide some while back. Whilst it has the creaminess of risotto, the freshness of the peas, mint and basil are a fabulous combination with the prawns:

Prawn, pea and mint risotto

Serves 4 - or two hungry people in our house!

450g (1lb) peeled prawns
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
400g (14oz) risotto rice
2 glasses white wine
1.5 litres vegetable stock
3 handfuls cooked peas
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful of basil
Half a handful mint
Knob of butter
60g (2.25 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Heat/make up vegetable stock
Chop onion and garlic cloves, fry until soft in a touch of olive oil
Add risotto rice, stirring until translucent
Add white wine, stirring
Add stock, a ladleful at a time and keep stirring, until rice is cooked
Season (I didn't)
Add cooked peas and peeled prawns and simmer for 2 minutes
Add lemon juice, basil and mint
Remove from heat and stir in a knob of butter and the Parmesan cheese

Things I do: Firstly, to my shame, this is only the second time I've ever cooked a risotto - the first time was an unmitigated disaster many years ago. I reckon I didn't stand over it the whole time as this one turned out perfectly :) I used frozen peas, cooked the way I usually do - in a large Pyrex jug with a little bit of water and done in the microwave on high - about five minutes with a stir halfway through the cooking. The recipe doesn't recommend which sort of pan to use - I used my latest huge (and weighing an absolute ton!) ruby red cast iron deep frying pan. I love that pan so much, but even Len finds it a tussle to lift - definitely a two-handed job - perhaps a mixed success of a purchase! The prawns were bought uncooked, so I don't know how this would work with ready cooked prawns - possibly OK as they don't go in until the end. I'm a little beast though, I love to watch fresh prawns turn all pink in front of me :) Finally, the day I made this, I didn't have any fresh mint growing here and our local supermarkets were without as well. So, I took the risk and just used about half a teaspoon or less of dried mint at the end and it worked absolutely fine.

Writing this up has made me hungry, so I think that's tonight's meal sorted out.

Enjoy - and if you finish off the wine whilst cooking, don't blame me :)

Di
x