Tart London: How to make Green Risotto

Coming up with recipes that are equally suitable for parents and kids can be a challenge, but we like to put our skills to the test.

It’s something we’ve been considering a lot since Jemima has had two little ones. Now when we start tinkering with a new dish, we think about how to keep it simple, both in terms of preparation and taste. Not all dishes need to be overpowered with flavours and components. Good quality ingredients, in their purest, plainest form, are not only child-friendly but delicious.

Until recently the very idea of cooking was intimidating for a lot of parents, but that is all changing. Appreciation of fresh ingredients has never been more widespread.

When it comes to cooking dinner with a near-empty fridge at the end of a long day, it’s very tempting to turn to pasta or rice — we often do. After all, there’s not always a quality butcher or greengrocer nearby. And carbs are comforting when you’re knackered. When this is the case, we squeeze in some nourishing greens to our carbs, such as a creamy courgette sauce for pasta or guacamole and fresh salsa for tacos. This risotto is a great family dish which we’ve tarted up with crisp Parma ham and whipped lemon ricotta — transforming toddler fodder into a rather lovely dinner party dish.

Green Risotto (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 litre chicken stock

500g fresh peas

Small bunch of mint, leaves only

Small bunch of parsley,

leaves only

Big bunch of basil, roughly chopped

1 tsp mustard

4 slices Parma ham

200g ricotta

1/2 garlic clove, crushed

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 red onion, finely diced

1 celery stick, finely sliced

2 leeks, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

200g risotto rice

200ml white wine

50g grated Parmesan

Method

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and add the peas, mint, parsley and half the basil (save the rest for serving) for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are just tender. Remove from heat and set half the peas aside for later. Whizz everything else up in a blender with the mustard.

Heat a slosh of olive oil in a pan and fry the Parma ham until crispy. Drain on a kitchen towel. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the ricotta with the garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season.