A golden, saffron-infused risotto and intense, oven-roasted tomatoes look stunning together on the plate. The flavours complement each other extremely well too, with the delicate, floral bitterness of saffron beautifully offsetting the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Serves 4
A little rapeseed or olive oil
25g unsalted butter, plus extra to finish
1 large onion, finely chopped
About 800ml chicken or vegetable stock
A large pinch of saffron strands
250g risotto rice
150ml dry white wine
A bay leaf and/or a sprig of thyme (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted tomatoes
500g small or medium tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas 5. For the roasted tomatoes, lightly oil a medium roasting dish. Halve the tomatoes or cut into quarters, depending on size, and place them in the dish. They should fit reasonably snugly in one layer. Scatter over the garlic and lots of salt and pepper, then trickle over the olive oil and sprinkle on the sugar. Roast for about 30 minutes until golden, juicy and bubbling. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, make the risotto. Heat a dash of oil with the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently for 10 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Meanwhile, put the stock and saffron in another saucepan and bring to a simmer, then keep warm over a very low heat.
Add the rice to the soft onions and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Pour in the wine and cook until it is all absorbed, then add the bay leaf and/or thyme, if using. Now add the saffron-infused stock, about a quarter at a time, keeping the rice at a low simmer and stirring often. Let each batch of stock be absorbed by the rice before you add the next. Continue until the rice is tender and the risotto is creamy and slightly soupy. This should take 20–25 minutes; you may not need quite all of the stock. Take off the heat. Dot a little butter over the surface of the risotto, cover and leave to rest for a couple of minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and/or thyme, if used. Fork through the melted butter and season the risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into warm bowls and top with the juicy roasted tomatoes. Give an extra grinding of black pepper, then serve.