QUINOA RISOTTO, BEETROOT, PORCINI AND MOZZARELLA
There was once a time when we would actively search a menu for the word risotto and order it even if it had been made with the milk of a turtle! In this recipe we have decided to use a simple porcini stock that is anything but simple when it comes to adding depth of flavour to the dish.
PREP AND COOK TIME: 1 HOURSERVES: 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large beetroot, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
40g dried porcini mushrooms
1 litre boiling water
4 French shallots, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely diced
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup dry white wine
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
300g mozzarella, torn into chunks
basil, leaves picked
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–low heat, add the beetroot and fry for 15 minutes until it begins to soften. Set aside.
2. Soak the porcini in the boiling water for 5–10 minutes. Strain the liquid into a bowl using a sieve lined with muslin cloth to remove any grit.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the shallot, carrot, celery and garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the Swiss brown mushrooms and butter and fry for a further minute before adding the quinoa and beetroot. Stir well and cook for another minute, then deglaze with the wine and flambé. To flambé, tip the pan carefully away from you but towards an open flame, allow the vapours to ignite and keep the pan at arm’s length. Allow the alcohol to burn off naturally before you continue cooking.
4. Gradually add the porcini stock, a ladle at a time, to the quinoa and stir until it has all been incorporated, 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste.
5. Spoon the risotto into serving bowls, top with the mozzarella and dress with the basil leaves.
WILL Can I use cooked quinoa in this recipe?
STEVE I suppose you could but as the quinoa won’t go through the absorption method to cook, there won’t be an opportunity to infuse all the amazing flavours into the grain. Stop trying to cut corners!
