Goats cheese, lemon and rosemary risotto

A delicate, creamy and delicious risotto. The quantities in this recipe make 3 portions (or 2 very generous ones).

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Zest and juice the 2 lemons. Put both zest and juice to the side.

Step 2

Finely grate the Parmigiano reggiano and put to the side.

Step 3

Separate the rosemary leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Roughly chop the leaves so they are about 1/2 to 1/3 of their size, and put them to the side.

Step 4

Put the goats cheese in a small bowl and slightly brake it down with a fork. Keep the fork with it (you’ll use it again shortly), and put it to the side.

Step 5

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Season to taste with salt and black pepper (consider that this is the only seasoning the dish will get). Have a ladle to hand.

Step 6

Put the risotto rice on a dry large non-stick pan and toast it on medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, constantly tossing it or stirring it with a spatula or wooden spoon to ensure it gets evenly toasted.

Step 7

Add the juice of 2 lemons to the pan stirring quickly so all rice grains absorb and get perfumed with the lemon flavour. Stirr until all the juice is absorbed, then lower the heat to medium-low and, while still stirring, ladle in enough broth to just cover the rice.

Step 8

Simmer the rice while stirring it regularly, to help it release the starch. Keep adding a little broth when needed, to keep the rice just covered. Continue with this until the rice is “al dente”.

Step 9

While the rice cooks, add a little broth to the goats cheese bowl and use the fork to make a very thick creamy mix. This will also start heating up the cheese.

Step 10

Once the rice is “al dente”, take it off the heat. Add the goats cheese mix, the grated Parmigiano and two thirds of the rosemary leaves. Give it a quick gentle stirr, and cover the pan with a lid for 5 minutes.

Step 11

Uncover the pan, and give it a final stirring. If it’s too thick, add a little broth and stirr to integrate it. Once you have the desired consistency, plate the risotto and sprinkle on top some rosemary leaves, lemon zest and a few rosemary flowers. Serve right away.