I have been away filming a lot over the last few weeks and it is great to be home in Blacklion. Besides wrapping up the filming of my upcoming series, I am now getting ready for the launch of my new book, Eat Out at Home, later in the month.
I saw a finished copy a few days ago and I am thrilled with it. There will be some signed copies for Irish Farmers Journal readers, so keep an eye out for a competition.
I also wanted to say a big thank you for all the nice comments I have received about my latest series, Coastal Food Trails, which we made with the help of Bord Bia. In Ireland, we can be very proud of our high-quality foods, as well as our many dedicated, talented chefs.
Today, I have some tasty recipes for working with vegetables. I love risotto – it is always a great one-pan dish and can also be a wonderful base for whatever you have in the fridge.
This is a good time of the year for pumpkins, parsnips and leeks. Keep an eye out for a well-aged Parmesan. Arborio rice really is the best for this recipe, with its creamy and soft texture.
This spiced vegetable biryani is best made a day ahead, and it will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable and it goes well in this dish. I prefer yogurt with 10% fat content when you’re cooking it in a recipe like this one. Saffron is expensive and can be something of an acquired taste. I like it, but not everyone does, so feel free to use turmeric instead.
Simply Better does an excellent korma sauce, which will save you some time. In addition to the poppadoms, you could also serve this dish with some naan bread. It is fantastic to see the Irish palate embrace so many new food cultures, flavours and spices these days.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
50g butter, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish
675g any root vegetable or use a mixture, such as carrots, parsnips and celeriac, peeled and diced
450g Arborio (risotto) rice
150ml dry white wine
5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Pour the stock into a pan and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Heat the oil and half of the butter in a separate, large pan. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, and cook over a medium heat for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened, but not coloured.
2 Stir in the root vegetables and cook for another six to eight minutes, until the vegetables are almost cooked through and just beginning to pick up a bit of colour.
3 Increase the heat, then add the rice and cook for one minute, stirring continuously, until all the grains are evenly coated and the rice is opaque.
4 Pour in the wine and allow it to reduce for one to two minutes, stirring. Reduce the heat to medium, then add a ladleful of stock, stirring until it is completely absorbed. Continue to add the simmering stock a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently.
5 Allow each addition of stock to be almost completely absorbed before adding the next ladleful, until the rice is al dente (tender, but with a slight bite). This should take about 20 minutes. You might have a little stock left, depending on the rice you use.
6 Just before serving, stir in the remaining butter, along with the Parmesan and season to taste. Ladle the risotto into warmed bowls and garnish with the extra Parmesan cheese and thyme leaves to serve.
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Knob of butter
1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
350g potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 large onion, sliced
750ml hot vegetable stock
A large pinch of saffron strands
3 tbsp korma curry paste
250g Greek yogurt
500g basmati rice, rinsed
100g fine green beans, halved
100g frozen peas
Juice of one lemon
A good handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 x 100g packet of honey-roasted cashew nuts
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Poppadoms
Cucumber raita
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2 Put the oil and butter in a large roasting tin and pop in the oven for two minutes, to melt the butter. Add the cauliflower, potatoes and onion, tossing quickly to coat evenly. Season generously and roast for 15 minutes, until just beginning to catch around the edges.
3 Meanwhile, put the stock in a large jug and whisk in the saffron and curry paste until evenly combined, then stir in the Greek yogurt.
4 Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the rice, green beans and peas, along with the stock mixture. Cover the tin tightly with a double layer of foil and bake for 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
5 Sprinkle the lemon juice over the biryani, then tip out onto a large serving platter and gently fluff up the rice grains with a fork. Scatter over the coriander and cashew nuts.
6 Serve with a pile of poppadoms and a bowl of cucumber raita.