Name: Risotto alla fragola (Strawberry risotto)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 50 g (½ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving; 1.5 litres (6 cups) of meat* or chicken stock or water; 60 g (2¼ oz) butter; 1 medium French shallot (eschalot), peeled and very finely chopped; 250 g (9 oz) ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and halved; 3 tablespoons good-quality brandy; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) risotto rice

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Twelve

By Tessa Kiros

Published 2003

About

The first of the year’s strawberries become available in late April. This is a stunningly unusual and exciting dish which always seems to raise an eyebrow when the menu is mentioned. You can make the risotto using either water, meat or chicken stock as your liquid.

Ingredients

1.5 litres (6 cups) of meat* or chicken stock or water

Method

Heat the stock in a large saucepan and keep it on a gentle simmer.

Heat half of the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Sauté the French shallot on a low heat until it has softened and add half of the strawberries. Cook gently for a couple of minutes, then add the brandy. When it has evaporated, add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon to coat all the rice. Season with salt and pepper