Butternut & Barley Risotto

Serves

This card printed its own 1 / 2 / 4 portion columns — those exact amounts are used where available, and amounts in between are interpolated rather than naively multiplied.

Ingredients

The figure beside each ingredient is its energy for the amount shown, and the bar is its share of the dish — so it is easy to see which one or two are actually carrying the calories if you fancy a substitution.

Raw ingredient energy · 8 servings

Raw weights on purpose: cooking changes what a dish weighs — rice absorbs water, meat renders fat — which moves energy per 100g without changing what you ate. Costing the ingredients you were given is the stable number, and it scales with the serving size above.

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and prep the ingredients as listed. Dilute your stock as suggested.

2. Prepare a greased or tinfoil lined baking tray. Place your butternut on the tray along with a generous drizzle of olive oil, the rosemary, some salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Pop in the oven to cook until softened, about 20-30 minutes.

3. Heat a medium sized pot over a low-medium heat. Add a knob of butter and your onion. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.

4. Once the onion is soft, add your barley and mix well. Cook the barley for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this stage, add your wine and mix through until absorbed, about 30 seconds. CHEFS TIP This step could be very quick if your pot is quite hot. Fear not.

5. Check the butternut and give it a shift.

6. To your barley pot, start to add your stock one third at a time. Let the barley absorb the stock before adding your next third. Stir quite frequently. Repeat the process until the barley is cooked to your preference, about 25-35 minutes. If your stock runs out, add water instead and repeat the process. Taste to test.

7. In the meantime, toast your pumpkin seeds in a pan over a medium heat until they turn golden and start to pop, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Dress your rocket leaves with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, set aside.

8. With about 5 minutes to go until your barley is nearing completion, add your butternut to the barley and stir through. With about 1 minute to go, add your cream and pecorino. Stir through and season to taste.

9. Plate your risotto, top with your pumpkin seeds and serve alongside the dressed rocket. You are ready to serve, bravo!

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