Beetroot is in season in the UK for most of the year. As I’d hoped, along with its signature sweetness it also bled its delightful pink hue into the entire dish without needing to be juiced. Goat’s cheese was the obvious choice to match with it. I didn’t realise the cheese would melt so readily into the risotto, but it added a fantastic creamy texture and a wonderful acidity which helped to cut into the risotto’s richness.

Rather than traditional method of constantly stirring the risotto while gradually adding stock, this recipe involves pre-agitating the uncooked rice in the stock in order to replicate the way the traditional method rubs starch off the grains into the risotto (thus creating the creamy texture). Forgoing the gradual addition of stock also means using a pre-measured amount of stock and uncooked rice, adding water at the end to adjust consistency.

Serves 4 as a main

Ingredients

• 1l chicken > vegetable stock
• 1kg whole beetroot, stems and leaves removed (these can be stir-fried with a little garlic and butter)
• 175ml dry white wine
• 60ml EVOO
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 300g carnaroli rice
• 250g goat’s cheese
• 30g finely grated parmesan
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Handful of pine nuts

Method

1. Steam beetroots until tender when a knife is inserted (about 30 mins) then remove skin and cut into 2cm cubes
2. Wash rice in stock then strain, reserving stock
3. In base of pressure cooker, heat EVOO and butter, swirling, until foaming subsides
4. Add onion and garlic then cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and aromatic (about 4 mins)
5. Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated in oil and toasted but not browned (3-4 mins)
6. Pour reserved stock and wine into pressure cooker
7. Bring cooker to high pressure and cook for 5 mins, then depressurise naturally
8. Open pressure cooker and stir to combine, adding most of the beetroot, most of the goat’s cheese and all the parmesan; stir in hot water if it’s too thick until creamy and flowing slowly like lava (err on the side of lower viscosity as it will firm up after service)
9. Season to taste with salt (it will need plenty), pepper and lemon juice
10. Serve onto heated plates and garnish with reserved beetroot, crumbled goat’s cheese and pine nuts