Savoury rice porridge

  When I put it like that, it may not sound so appetising but while nosing around my cupboards this afternoon, I noticed a half a bag of risotto rice and became inspired. I know we generally don't associate risotto with rice porridge but that's pretty much what it is, though arguably a more sophisticated version. As with so many dishes, it can be the star of the show or just one of the cast and let's not forget that if you're going to go through the process of making a pot of the stuff, you definitely have to make way too much as it's always perfect as a reusable dish.

  Let's get straight to it as there's quite a bit to cover. Risotto is rice that's cooked with lots of flavour and fat. Start sweating some vegetables as they are a great source of flavour, texture and moisture. I went with onion, carrot and mushroom and softened them with a generous amount of olive oil and butter and a sprinkle of salt to help draw out the moisture. Over a low heat with the lid on, they perspire gently and get us ready for the next stage, the rice.

  Chronologically speaking the picture above is jumping the gun slightly but bear with me. Tip the rice into the veg and the first thing you'll notice is any fluid gets soaked up. The rice is super thirsty and needs a good drink so as you're a great host, let's give it a nice drink of wine. As a guide, I used about two hundred and fifty grams of rice and doused it with about a third of a bottle of white. Though you don't need to stir the risotto ceaselessly, you will need to be pretty attentive with the spoon.

  After the wine's been drunk, it's time to start on the stock. As you've been taking my advice I know you've got a few tubs of home made in the freezer. I'm quite happy to just put it in as a big frozen lump and let it defrost and get drunk all in one go. Keep stirring pretty frequently and let the rice slurp happily away. The whole process will take about twenty five minutes of stirring and drinking. You'll notice the rice go from white to translucent as it nears the end of the cooking process. You're looking for a fairly firm rice, so not totally squidgy like porridge.

  As you get towards the end of the rice's cooking, it's time to add the finishing touches. As you can see above, I added peas. What you can't see is that I added a massive pile of grated cheese. Parmesan is traditional but I happened to have a big chunk of manchego and that worked fine. A big blob of creme fraiche or a massive knob of butter is a lovely way to add a sumptuous creamy finish, then all you need is a bit of seasoning.

​​​​​​​  As you can see above, the risotto was part of a big, all-star cast. There was also salad, kimchi, french beans, roasted aubergines and a nice chunk of pan fried salmon. As I said before, there will be loads more risotto being served in the next few days. As I write this, I'm feeling myself inclined to chilling it, cutting it into chunks and frying it but you'll have to come back to see what I get up to.

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Kirk out

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