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This book, in a way, is not complete within itself. It’s the next step – of our life and our lessons – and a continuation of our first book. As we said then, we are forever learning. The ideas in this book represent only what we know now. Our truth is in this moment. Until the next chapter.
Our friend Lachy is a big part of what makes up our ‘family’. When we go to his place for dinner, he almost always makes a version of ‘risotto’ – always different, but kind of the same. Getting Lachy to give you even a semblance of a recipe, for one of his many versions of risotto, is like asking a cow to talk. Never going to happen. But I think we have nailed a replica of it, and we’ve tried to add his voice to the recipe so you get the full experience. Hope it makes sense! Enjoy the experience – it’s one we love.
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, diced
100g smoked bacon, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
180g mushrooms, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1/4 bunch (30g) of flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks separated, both finely chopped
400g zucchini/summer squash, asparagus or broccoli (whatever is in season), finely diced
250 ml (1 cup) white or red wine
440g (2 cups) medium grain brown rice, soaked for 12-24 hours in water with a splash of vinegar, then drained 750ml (3 cups) stock of your choice
4 baby spring onions, finely sliced
3 heaped tablespoons of parmesan cheese (add more if you like it extra cheesy!
Method
Add a big splash of oil to a big, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5-ish minutes until softened. Add the bacon, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, parsley stalks and thyme – get it all in there – and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
Add the zuke/squash, asparagus or broccoli and cook for 4-5 minutes until the liquid from the vegetables has floated away. Deglaze with half the wine, and stir for a minute to boil off the alcohol. Add the rice, stir thoroughly and fry for 2-3 minutes, letting it get all sizzle-y and sticky-to-the-pan-y. Add the remaining wine and the stock, enough to cover everything. Bring to a simmer (keep stirring!), then reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes undisturbed.
It should be getting pretty al dente after 30 minutes, and the liquid level will have dropped below the rice. Season to taste (be generous – about 2 teaspoons if your stock is unseasoned) and add the spring onion, chopped parsley leaves and parmesan. Stir thoroughly to combine, cover and cook for 15 minutes undisturbed, then remove from heat.
Serve with a splash of oil, a sprinkling of parsley leaves and acidic things like lemon juice and something to balance all that cheese and bacon voluptuousness!
Recipe Notes
Lach actually prefers to use bacon bones, which are leftover pork bones that have been cured and smoked – ask your local butcher. He just throws them in at the start, and when the risotto’s ready, the meat will have come away from the bones.
All sorts of mushrooms are great for this, but our favourites are king browns, Swiss browns, saffron milk caps, slippery jacks or morels, depending on the season!
Part of a Lachy risotto is that you are freely allowed to replace ingredients with leftover bits and pieces from the fridge. So, feel free to experiment.
