A fresh and vibrant risotto that makes you crave spring and warm weather even more than usual. Crunchy broad beans, creamy and tangy goat cheese plus the pungent aroma of mint, create the perfect mix of flavour in this elegant yet easy to do risotto.

For this risotto I used the Carnaroli rice from sustainable agriculture by Riso Gallo. Carnaroli is the king of risotto rice grains, definitely a chefs’ favourite. With its large but tapered grains Carnaroli is perfect for an elegant risotto. This rice is very porous so it absorbs in full the flavour of your recipe and when well toasted it is the one that holds its shape and therefore stays ‘al dente’ for a longer time after it is cooked. I recommend it not only for special occasion risottos, but also to make tasty rice salad or why not a rice bake or cake.

Honestly, I cannot praise this rice enough, if you want to gear up your risotto game, this is the product to go for. 100 % premium Italian quality from sustainable agriculture with fully recyclable packaging, I mean, the only way to get it better than this would be if it was already cooked and delivered to your door by someone who would also wash the dishes afterwards!

Preparation

Blanche the broad beans in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes and cool in iced water to retain the green color. Peel them, set aside 4 tbsp as garnish and sauté the rest in a warmed-up pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a clove of garlic. Add a pinch of salt and let it cook for 2 minutes. Blend well and add a splash of water if necessary. Remember, it is ok if the puree is grainy as you have removed the skin off the broad beans. Set aside.

Remove the root and tough top part of the leek (can use them for the stock) and cut lengthwise. Rinse well and chop into 1 to 2 cm squares. Now gently sauté the chopped leeks in a pan with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of oil and a small knob of butter. Cook for about 5 minutes on low heat, until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.

For the risotto

In a large casserole, start to dry toast the rice on low heat with a pinch of salt, without adding oil or fat. In this way, the heat reaches the core of each rice grain resulting in a more uniform al dente rice. Keep stirring the rice occasionally, so the rice does not catch on the bottom of the pan or burn. When the rice is very hot, pour half a glass of wine in. Let the alcohol evaporate, set the cooking time to 16/17 minutes and add the simmering stock a ladle at a time, little by little. Remember, the risotto needs to always have a good simmer during the cooking time. Stir the rice every now and then, and make sure the rice is always covered with stock. Keep cooking and do not stir with too much energy as it could break the rice grains.

When halfway through the cooking, add the sauté leek and the broad bean puree.
Once the time is up, taste the risotto and if you’re happy with the texture remove it from the heat. If you want the rice a little bit softer, cook for another minute.

This step is called “mantecatura” to make the risotto creamier increasing its natural ooziness with the right gesture and movements. It is very important to carry out this step away from the heat as it could split the cheese and butter.

Add the grated Grana Padano cheese and butter to the rice. Stir to incorporate extra air until the risotto is nice and creamy. At this stage I like to add an extra splash of wine and if the risotto dries up, you can still add a little bit of hot stock. Season to taste.

Plate the hot risotto straight away. Season the broad beans left and top the risotto with them, crumble the goat cheese over and garnish with mint leaves.