Leek and bacon risotto

Meat mains

Leek and bacon risotto

Name: Leek and bacon risotto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2

Main Serves 2 40 min

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

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking time: 35 min

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.
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.
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.