Cameron Easton's Green Pea Risotto Recipe

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Green Pea Risotto with Crispy Bacon Shards & Burnt Onion Dust

Ingredients:

For the Risotto

•  30ml Sunfoil Platinum Oil

• 1 knob unsalted butter, cold

• 1 white onion, peeled, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped

• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped

• 400g short-grain risotto rice

• 250ml good quality white wine

• 1.5 litres Free Range, Organic chicken stock

• 150g parmesan cheese, grated

• Knob or two of chilled butter

• Oryx Desert Salt, to season

• Oryx Desert Salt black pepper, to season

Garnish:

• Extra Virgin olive oil, to garnish

• Nasturtium leaves, to garnish

• Parmesan cheese, finely grated, to garnish 

 For the Green Peas

•  1 packet (374g) frozen petit pois peas

• 1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

• 2 medium sized lemons, zested, juiced

• 1 handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

• Extra Virgin olive oil, to dress

 For the Crispy Bacon Shards (optional)

•  1 Packet Free Range° bacon

• 2 sheets (50cm x 30cm) good quality wax paper

• 2 large oven trays

 For the Burnt Onion Dust (optional)

•  2 large brown onions, finely sliced

 Method

1. In a large pot set on medium heat, add the sunflower oil and a knob of butter and cook to beurre Noisette stage.

2. Add the onions, garlic and celery and cook until golden and well Caramelized, stirring all the time to prevent them from burning.

3. Now add the rice, and keep it moving in the pot, coating the grains in the Caramelized fats. Cook until the rice is slightly toasted, about 2 minutes or so - this will give the risotto a depth of flavor and release a nutty flavor. Again, be carful not to burn.

4. Add the white wine, stirring the rice continuously, until it has been almost complete absorbed .

5. Stirring continuously, add your hot stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring and allowing the liquid to be almost completely absorbed before adding the next ladle. This is important - by continuously stirring, you are the releasing starch from the rice grains, which results in a creamy risotto.

6. Cooking time will vary - when it is cooked, the rice grains should be plump and soft but still have a little bite in them. It should also resemble a rice soup, not too thick - when ladled onto a plate it should just gently and slowly fall, almost like lava.

7. Taste throughout the process and season to your liking.

8. Meanwhile, blanch your peas and strain into a bowl sitting on an ice bath. Restrain, season with parsley, salt, pepper, lemon, coriander and  olive oil and quickly pulse in a food blender until it resembles a vibrant mushy pea texture.

9. At the very end, finish the risotto by folding through the pea mixture, along with the Parmesan cheese and a knob of chilled butter until everything is fully incorporated. If it is looking a little thick, then just add another ladle of stock.  Season well.

10. To make the crispy bacon shards, place the bacon between two pieces of baking baking, place onto a baking tray and place a second baking tray on top to weight it down. Place in the oven at 180° degrees until crispy. 

11. For the burnt Onion dust, place the onions into a heat proof oven dish and char them using a blowtorch. Place in an oven at 70° degrees and dehydrate until crisp. Place into a food blender or nutribullet and whiz to form a powder. 

12. Plate up the risotto, topped with Extra Virgin olive oil drizzle, Nasturtium leaves, Parmesan cheese, finely grated and not forgetting the bacon shards and Onion dust.