Bacon, Leek and Pea Risotto

This is a healthy risotto as I use low-fat cooking spray instead of butter and low-fat cream cheese instead of mascarpone, which is quite heavy on the calories. But the main change is the rice ... or lack of it. Instead of using the traditional Arborio rice, I use pearl barley as it has less carbs and a lot more fibre. It takes slightly longer to absorb the stock, but only a few minutes. The sweetness of the leeks and peas really make this mouth-watering! Risottos can be intimidating; however, all they really take is some attention, but that care will lead to a wonderful meal. Bacon lardons are diced streaky and back bacon pieces; they can be bought in most supermarkets or alternatively dice up some thick bacon rashers.

Ingredients

2 shallots

2 cloves of garlic

3 medium leeks

Low-fat cooking spray

100g bacon lardons

200g pearl barley

700ml warm chicken stock

A handful of frozen peas

1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese

Black pepper to season

Method

• Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic, wash and finely slice the leeks. Spray some low-fat cooking spray into a large saucepan and fry off the bacon lardons, crisping them up, then remove them from the saucepan and remove the excess oil with kitchen paper. Add another spray of oil and gently fry off the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes, add the leeks and sweat for 3–4 minutes.

• Pour in the pearl barley and stir around for a minute to gently toast, then add in a ladle and a half of the warm stock. Stir until this has absorbed, then pour in another ladle of stock and add the peas.

• Continue adding the stock ladle by ladle, letting each ladleful be absorbed before adding the next, until all the stock has all been added and absorbed.

• Remove the risotto from the heat, add the bacon lardons and low-fat cream cheese, and stir until it has mixed through.

• Season with cracked black pepper, stir well and serve immediately.

Tip: Keep the stock warm in a separate saucepan on a low/medium heat. This cuts cooking time and makes the risotto come together better.