Eager for a touch of spring because the Paris winter drags on and on, I made a cheery pot of risotto with peas and contemporary mint the opposite day. The inspiration for this dish was not my very own. I first had it final summer time at a ravishing English nation pub, The Duke of Cumberland Arms, in West Sussex, southwest of London. It was a wet day, so my pal and I lunched indoors — and our eyes lit up when the supremely inexperienced risotto was dropped at our desk.
Risotto aux petits pois et à la menthe / Risotto with peas and mint
It was dotted with peas but additionally surprisingly creamy. How had the chef achieved this pleasant impact, I questioned. Once we have been out within the backyard for espresso after lunch — at a desk with an enormous umbrella — I noticed him wander by and needed to ask. Chef Simon Goodman was completely happy to oblige. The trick, he mentioned, was to purée among the peas. Type of just like the well-known (notorious?) ‘mushy peas’ that Britons take pleasure in with their fish and chips…
So that you make a typical risotto — sauté onion in olive oil, add rice and stir-fry briefly, add white wine, then broth. Individually, cook dinner the peas and purée about two-thirds of them with contemporary mint whereas leaving the opposite third entire. When the rice is al dente, stir within the puréed peas, simmer briefly, then add the entire peas, butter and freshly grated parmesan. Let it sit a few minutes, coated, and produce to the desk. Put together for applause…
As readers of this web site will know, I’m very keen on risotto and over time have posted recipes with spinach, pumpkin, lobster, wild mushrooms, morel mushrooms, saffron, radicchio (one in all my favorites) and asparagus … with peas! I serve the risotto both as a essential course — it makes a fantastic lunch dish, adopted by a salad — or because the starter for a extra elaborate meal, normally Italian themed. I would pair it, for instance, with veal saltimbocca, parmesan rooster or oven-roasted eggplant, Mediterranean fashion.
Regionally grown contemporary peas haven’t appeared at Paris farmers markets but, however that was not an issue — as this dish could also be made with frozen peas any time of the 12 months. That’s fortunate, given the infinite Paris winter. We now have has been handled to months of chilly, moist, grey, blustery climate and it simply gained’t appear to let up — the Seine truly burst its banks this week. However, based on the calendar, it’ll formally be spring in simply two extra weeks…
Completely happy cooking!
