Risotto and Sprout Tops in 4 Stages

I don’t want to shock the house with Joseph Swan’s bulb brilliance. Not yet. It is dusk. The monochromatic scene fascinates me. The familiar retreat into dark offers a momentary pause, to spy shadows that raise the childhood fears normally dampened by adulthood. I shiver, from paranoia or cold I am not sure.

A chill winter night needs comfort food. An insulating dish to make me glow in the manner of a seventies breakfast commercial (you remember it!) long after the lights have gone out. Some colour to contrast with the enveloping dark outside.

Risotto: the original one pot comfort food. Unfortunately, I am using two. Risotto with Sprout Tops and, following my cliché loving nose to the bottom of the fridge, pancetta. A shock of green with hints of pink stirred into the stock soaked grains.

Brassica, like darkness, can also raise those uncomfortable childhood memories; the plethora of green vegetables so over cooked in the past, their lingering sulphurous aroma permeating the houses of many a great aunt. Here I have sprout tops, which I am shredding and blanching. No sogginess nor grey green water in this kitchen.

Strangely, Cavolino di Bruxelles doesn’t readily ripple off the Italian tongue. It is often served under a blanket of béchamel sauce as if to hide the shame of them, or have the Italians just never recovered from their own childhood fear of greens?

As an aside, if you are going Veganuary or are meat free, look away from the ingredients list as more animal fats are added. 

The alternatives to my ‘carnivale’ are a strong vegetable stock and adding miso paste to the greens, or (pescarian) stirring in puréed anchovy at the last minute, adding to the umami contrast needed in this recipe.

But I get ahead of myself.

Ingredients

3 Sprout Tops shredded

1 Onion very finely diced

1-2 cloves Garlic pureed

160g Arborio Risotto Rice

1 glass White Wine (approximately 125ml)

500ml fresh Stock – Chicken or strong Vegetable

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter (or Vegetable Margarine)

1 Tbsp Lard (optional)

70g Smoked Pancetta or 1 heaped tspn Miso or half a tin of Anchovy fillets pureed

Method

Stage 1:

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Shred the sprout tops and once the water has reached a rolling boil throw in the thicker pieces for 1 minute then follow by plunging the leaves in for another minute. Drain and rinse in cold water. Shake dry and set aside.

Stage 2:

Pour in your olive oil and add the onions. Bring up to heat and sweat them. (Technically, the onion should be a similar size to the rice grains so a food processor might be in order if, like me, you are not wearing your glasses). If the onions start to stick add another glug of olive oil as this helps cool them down a bit to stop them burning. Add the garlic and stir to infuse and heat through.

Stir in the rice. Keep stirring until the rice starts sticking to the pan base and you start getting a nutty aroma.

Stage 3:

Adding liquids. Once you are at that nuttiness stage pour in the wine and listen to it sizzle. Keep stirring in part to deglaze any starch from the base of the pan but also for an even cook.

What you are looking for before adding the next amount of liquid is the ability to divide the mixture in the pan, so the division holds.

Add half of the stock mixture, at this stage careful addition isn’t as vital. Keep stirring while it gently bubbles and continue until you have the same parting. Add the remaining liquid a ladle at a time and keep stirring.

I throw in my pancetta at a late stage (the penultimate ladle) as they are small pieces and the heat will cook them through, if you prefer to fry them, do so before starting the risotto and add at them at the resting stage.

Once the rice is done to your satisfaction, set it aside in a warm place, season and add a good lump of butter (or vegetable-based margarine).

Stage 4:

In a frying pan get the oil and lard if using hot. You want to see the lard smoking before adding the sprout tops. Get the leaves to take on a little caramelisation to give it added flavour. If you are taking the Miso route, add it now.

Finally, stir in the greens and season before serving.

Rich chicken stock adds creaminess to the starchy nuggets. The fresh green is given hints of smoke from the charring (and the lard) and the bacon the salty sweetness that has the umami necessary to round this dish off.

But what about the Parmesan I hear you ask? Like Mrs Hubbard, the cupboard was bare.