ROMANTIC RISOTTO from Susan Lodge
by Susan Lodge
This easy recipe, that serves two, is ideal for Valentine's Day dinner with your special someone. Add a crisp salad, dry white wine, and candles then let romance flow.
ROMANTIC RISOTTO
Melt half the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for about 3-4 minutes over a moderate heat.
Stir in the rice and mix well to coat the grains with the onion mixture.
Add the wine, mushrooms, and thyme.
Stir well.
Let the wine bubble and evaporate for a few seconds then stir in a ladle of stock.
Cook gently until the moisture has been absorbed by the rice.
Add the rest of the stock, a ladle at a time, making sure all the liquid is absorbed between additions. Stir frequently to prevent the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan.
This process should take about fifteen to twenty minutes. Taste the risotto. The mixture should be a moist texture and the rice tender.
Stir in the rest of the butter, juice from half the lemon, beans, and prawns. Take a few seconds to warm everything through then turn off the heat. Place a lid on the saucepan and let the risotto stand for a few minutes before serving.
Meanwhile fry the meat until crisp and use as a garnish for the risotto
Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Here's a little from my latest historical romance to peak your interest.
Marriage to a cruel dandy is not how Hetty Avebury envisions spending the rest of her life. Determined to avoid the match, she raises funds the only way she knows how – gambling. Her plans go astray and she finds herself on board a man-of-war under the care of its high handed physician. But Hetty soon realizes that Doctor Withington is not quite the stuffed shirt she had first imagined.
If it wasn’t bad enough declaring one of the pressed men as a woman, Robert has been tasked with the tiresome job of returning her safely back to her dysfunctional family. It was ten years ago when his father gambled away his inheritance, home, and any chance of marrying the woman he loved. So when Robert discovers Hetty gambling he takes drastic action to cure her of the habit.
Amazon Buy Link
Susan Lodge’s first publishing success was a story purchased by a major UK magazine followed by a drawer full of rejections. Finally a breakthrough gave her the confidence to seek and secure a publisher for her historical romance novels Only a Hero Will Do and Rebellious Cargo. After working in several cities including London and Bristol, she and her husband moved down to the Hampshire coast to raise their family. Learn more about Susan and her books on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter and her Amazon Author Page.
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| Photo by tiramisustudio. |
- 75g (3oz.) butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 200g (7oz.) Arborio risotto rice
- 150ml (5 oz.) white wine
- 75g (3oz.) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stalks
- 500ml (18oz.) fish or chicken stock
- 1 lemon
- 100g (4oz.) green string beans, cooked and halved
- 200g (7oz.) prawns (large shrimp), peeled and cooked
- 3 - 4 thin slices of salami or chorizo, chopped, for garnish
- 1 sprig of basil for decoration
Melt half the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic for about 3-4 minutes over a moderate heat.
Stir in the rice and mix well to coat the grains with the onion mixture.
Add the wine, mushrooms, and thyme.
Stir well.
Let the wine bubble and evaporate for a few seconds then stir in a ladle of stock.
Cook gently until the moisture has been absorbed by the rice.
Add the rest of the stock, a ladle at a time, making sure all the liquid is absorbed between additions. Stir frequently to prevent the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan.
This process should take about fifteen to twenty minutes. Taste the risotto. The mixture should be a moist texture and the rice tender.
Stir in the rest of the butter, juice from half the lemon, beans, and prawns. Take a few seconds to warm everything through then turn off the heat. Place a lid on the saucepan and let the risotto stand for a few minutes before serving.
Meanwhile fry the meat until crisp and use as a garnish for the risotto
Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Here's a little from my latest historical romance to peak your interest.
If it wasn’t bad enough declaring one of the pressed men as a woman, Robert has been tasked with the tiresome job of returning her safely back to her dysfunctional family. It was ten years ago when his father gambled away his inheritance, home, and any chance of marrying the woman he loved. So when Robert discovers Hetty gambling he takes drastic action to cure her of the habit.
Amazon Buy Link
Susan Lodge’s first publishing success was a story purchased by a major UK magazine followed by a drawer full of rejections. Finally a breakthrough gave her the confidence to seek and secure a publisher for her historical romance novels Only a Hero Will Do and Rebellious Cargo. After working in several cities including London and Bristol, she and her husband moved down to the Hampshire coast to raise their family. Learn more about Susan and her books on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter and her Amazon Author Page.
Sounds like a romantic meal and book, Susan! Show me the love! Cheers and best wishes for a bestseller!
ReplyDeleteHave a great Valentines Day Sharon. Thanks for your support
DeleteNever realized risotto could be so romantic--Great recipe and story synopsis! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI think any meal can be romantic Leigh - especially with the right person :)
DeleteThank you for hosting me today Dominique. Great day to celebrate the romantic pen.
ReplyDeleteInterest and appetite both piqued! Best wishes for success with your book @SusanLodge!
ReplyDeleteI'm like Leigh - never thought of rice risotto as being romantic but hey! Whatever works!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed Hetty immensely.