This is such a satisfying risotto. The combination of earthy sweet beetroot, fragrant thyme, pungent blue cheese and salted crumbly walnuts is irresistible!
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
4 medium beetroot, peeled and each cut into 6 wedges
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons runny honey
sea salt and ground pepper
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon
red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon caster sugar
½ cup walnuts, chopped roughly
Risotto
1 large red onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2¼ cups Arborio rice
½ cup red wine
5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves chopped finely
7–8 cups good quality vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
35 grams butter
To serve
100 grams Gorgonzola picante or other crumbly blue cheese
thyme sprigs for garnish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Line a baking tray with tin foil. Place beetroot wedges in the centre and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Add the thyme sprigs. Fold tinfoil around the beetroot to make a closed parcel and cook for 55 minutes or until the beetroot can be pierced easily with a knife tip.
Set aside six wedges and blend the remaining beetroot in a food processor with the red wine vinegar. Heat the sugar in a sauté pan until it just starts to turn a pale golden colour. Add the walnuts and a sprinkling of sea salt and toss over heat until the walnuts are coated lightly in light amber caramel sugar. Set aside.
Risotto: Heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper and add the rice. Cook for 3–4 minutes then add the wine and chopped thyme.
Place the stock in a saucepan and heat gently. Once the rice has absorbed most of the wine, add about ⅔ cup of warm stock. Keep stirring, adding warm stock as it becomes absorbed, ensuring the rice never dries out. After 20 minutes add the beetroot purée and cook a further 5 minutes. The rice should be cooked but not mushy. Remove from the heat and stir through the Parmesan and butter.
To serve: Ladle the risotto into bowls. Halve the remaining beetroot wedges and place on top, crumble over Gorgonzola, scatter with walnuts and garnish with a sprig or two of thyme.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
latest issue:
Issue #114
Autumn has arrived, and with it, the latest issue of dish, jam-packed with recipes that will have you fizzing to get in the kitchen! With a long Easter lunch featuring perfectly pink, blushing roast leg of lamb and wildly decadent baked mashed potatoes with caramelised onions, to simply scrumptious chocolate treats and sensational seasonal baking this issue has you covered - we reckon the Hot Cross Buns are our best yet! Salads make way for soothing soups, pies, puddings and our cover star beef cheek ragù with spaghetti – a must-make dinner for family and friends. With over 60 recipes in our latest issue there’s plenty of inspiration to keep you busy – and well-fed! Don’t forget to share your dish dishes with our Facebook community.