Beetroot spelt risotto (Serves 4)
While you can use strong bottled horseradish in this recipe, we really do recommend getting hold of fresh horseradish as the flavour works wonderfully in this dish.
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
100ml white wine
600g chicken or vegetable stock
200g beetroot juice
1 raw beetroot
200g pearled spelt or pearl barley
100ml Madeira
30g grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon grated horseradish
120g goat’s cheese
A few sprigs of fresh dill, finely chopped
Finely chop the onion.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide based pan, add the chopped onion and cook over a gentle heat until soft but not brown.
Place the white wine into a small pan, add the stock (chicken or vegetable), bring to the boil and keep warm over a low heat.
Peel the beetroot and cut into a very fine dice. Set aside.
Place the beetroot juice into a separate saucepan and reduce until ½ the volume. Set aside.
Add the pearled spelt or pearl barley to the soft onions and cook over a medium heat until the spelt is frying and starting to colour lightly.
Add the cubed beetroot and Madeira to the pearled spelt or pearl barley and cook until the liquid has reduced by ¾.
Pour in ½ the warmed stock and cook for 10 minutes.
Continue adding stock one ladle at a time until the pearled spelt or pearl barley is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed.
Add the reduced beetroot juice and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Stir in the grated parmesan and horseradish and leave to rest for 3 minutes.
Serve garnished with crumbled goat’s cheese and a sprinkle of dill.
The Independent ( used with permission from Leith's)