Courgette Risotto

I don't often post savoury recipes. I love baking, and tend to share the fruits of my labours with my work colleagues or family if I happen to be visiting them at the right time, but my savoury side isn't as well developed. I blame it on living alone. It doesn't seem worth it half the time to make something interesting just for me, but I must get out of this mindset and start making more of an effort. Anyway, I was visiting J and T this weekend and we decided that we wanted courgette risotto. I've blogged about mushroom risotto before here and I use pretty much the same method for making the courgette risotto.

The inspiration for the recipe originally came from the BBC Food website, from their video section, Get Cooking, which is really instructive. The recipe is one of Sophie Grigson's, Courgette and Herb Risotto. I have to admit that I've never made it with all of the herbs specified (or in fact, any of them!) because lots of small amounts of fresh herbs are not budget friendly and the only thing growing in my garden at the moment (aside from weeds and grass) is rosemary, which wouldn't have quite the desired effect!

However, I think my take is good too!

Courgette risotto
Ingredients (for 3 people)
Olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 medium-large courgettes
250g arborio risotto rice
100ml dry sherry
750ml-1 litre vegetable stock (I use Marigold Bouillon powder)
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
- Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large-ish pan, and add the chopped onion. Sweat slowly until softened but not coloured, about 5 minutes or so.
- Coarsely grate about 1/3 -1/2 of your courgette into the pan and continue to cook over a medium heat until the courgette has started to soften.
- In the meantime, coarsely chop the remaining courgette and saute over a medium heat in a large frying pan.
- Add the risotto rice to the grated courgettte/onion mix and stir for around a minute to coat the rice, which should go translucent.
- Add the dry sherry and simmer until it is all absorbed.
- Start adding the warm vegetable stock, a ladleful at a time keeping stirring as much as you can. The stock needs to simmer while it is being added, if the heat is too low the rice won't cook. Too high and the stock will evaporate before the rice has had a chance to absorb it.
- Add the stock until the rice is cooked to your liking. Al-dente is traditional, but I like mine softer.
- When it is cooked, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in a knob of butter and some grated parmesan (as much as you like!) and grate some more parmesan to add at the table.

J made a lovely rosemary and rock salt foccacia and a green salad to go with the risotto, which were great accompaniments.