7: Charred leek and pea risotto

Mmmmm, not much warms you up more on a cold Sunday than a dish of fresh risotto. I've mentioned it's become a favorite in our house, yet it's been a while since we made it. As we decided what to make for dinner this evening, Ken mentioned risotto, and I jumped on board. A few nights ago, while watching a Top Chef rerun, I came up with the idea of champagne risotto with crispy leeks. What we made tonight is a close version of what I was thinking.

I can't believe I haven't blogged about our risotto recipe. If my eyes are playing tricks on me, please do go and use the recipe. However, if I'm correct, our recipe is nearly identical to this one here except that we use vegetable stock: Risotto with parmesan cheese

We had frozen leeks in our fridge since, I think, the beginning of time. I thought this would be a great way to utilize them. I also had a white wine that ended up being pretty tasteless, so we used that in the recipe with a bit of Riesling which added some flavor. The leeks were easy enough. We thawed the leeks, heat a splash of olive oil in a pan on medium, and through the leaks in to cook up. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and allow the leeks to cook as long as you like. We enjoy a good char, but not everyone does, so you can cook them to your liking.



We added peas at the end once the rice was cooked through. Allow them to cook of a few minutes. The heat from the risotto keeps you from having to wait too long, and the peas didn't taste mushy at all. I  can't say there is much else to report other than it was the usual classic dinner with an added crispiness which I really enjoyed. The risotto is very creamy, rich, and soft so the crispy, charred leeks were a welcome addition.