Step 1 – Making the stock
Ingredients
2 pints of Water
1 small chopped Red Chili
1 Lemon for zest
1 tsp Salt
1 chopped Shallot
A dash of Oil
A pinch of Saffron
(alternatively, you could just add a vegetable stock cube to 2 pints of water, but be careful not to add too much salt – stock cubes are very salty)
Method
1. Bring water to a boil
2. Add remaining ingredients and let flavors simmer for 5-10 minutes
Step 2 – Completing the Risotto
Ingredients
3 knobs of Butter (a knob is about the size of a walnut lump, or 2 tbsp)
1 diced Shallot
1 cup of Arborio Rice (Arborio Rice is an Italian short-grain rice. It’s high-starch and perfect for Risotto)
A glass of good White Wine
A pinch of Saffron
A glug of Vermouth (a glug is a very “technical” measurement of slightly more than you would be comfortable drinking in one gulp)
A pinch of chopped Red Chili
A handful of chopped Wild Garlic
1 Lemon for juice
A grind of Black Pepper
A handful of Chopped Parsley
Two generous handfuls of boiled and shelled Crayfish Meat
Salt to taste
2 handfuls of finely grated Parmesan
A handful of shavings of Hard Cheese (Parmesan works great here too)
Method
1. Add a knob of butter to a large frying pan
2. Fry diced shallot in butter until it’s translucent (not brown)
3. Add a cup of dry Arborio Rice, stirring the rice in the melted butter
4. Slowly add a couple cups of stock one cup at a time, stirring to mix. Make sure the rice is absorbing the stock before adding another cup
5. Add a glass of good white wine and a pinch of saffron, continuing to stir
6. Throw in a glug of Vermouth and a pinch of chopped red chili
7. Slowly add more stock, stirring as you go – this should take about ten minutes – taste the mix as you go to test if the rice is soft and cooked
8. When the rice is cooked to your liking, add a handful of chopped wild garlic and a grind of black pepper
9. Add chopped parsley and then throw in your Crayfish meat as well, continuing to stir and mix it all together
10. Add a couple more knobs of butter and salt to taste along with some finely grated Parmesan
11. To serve, top with the shavings of hard cheese and enjoy!