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CARAMELISED CELERIAC, THYME AND HAZELNUT RISOTTO

A well-made risotto is something that takes time and cannot be rushed, but the end result is well worth it. Ensure you use a decent stock – it will really enhance the flavour and texture of the finished dish. This is the perfect opportunity to make your own stock, which will add a whole other dimension to your risotto. Always use carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice: the short, plump grains cook slowly with the centre remaining al dente.

Serves: 4–6

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: around 40 minutes

60g blanched hazelnuts

3 tbsp vegetable oil

50g butter

1 celeriac (around 500g), peeled and cut into 1cm dice

100ml milk

approx. 1.3 litres Chicken or Vegetable Stock

½ bunch of thyme, with 1 tbsp picked leaves, the remainder tied together with string

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely grated

500g carnaroli or Vialone Nano risotto rice

125ml dry white wine

75g grated Parmesan cheese

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil, or hazelnut oil, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Season well with sea salt and pepper and bake for 6–8 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then finely chop and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the celeriac and season with sea salt. Cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring, until the celeriac is soft and deep golden brown. Remove half of the celeriac and set aside. Add the milk to the saucepan and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan well then transfer everything to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Wipe out the pan.

Put the stock in a separate saucepan with the string-tied thyme sprigs and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently. Note: the thyme sprigs are to flavour the stock, not to use in the risotto, so discard them when you are getting down to the last few ladlefuls.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat in the saucepan you cooked the celeriac in. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the shallots have softened but not coloured. Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until it becomes shiny and translucent. When it starts to make a faint popping sound, add the wine and let it bubble away and reduce, stirring continuously. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and some sea salt and pepper and stir. Simmer and continue stirring until the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Cook the rice for 15–20 minutes, adding the remaining stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until each ladleful has been absorbed before adding the next. The risotto is cooked when the rice grains are a little firm but don’t have any chalky crunch on the outside when bitten into.

Stir in the caramelised celeriac purée and allow the risotto to come to a simmer. Stir in most of the Parmesan, adding any extra stock if required. Finally, add the diced caramelised celeriac and most of the thyme leaves.

Taste, add a little more salt and pepper if you like and serve straight away, sprinkled with the chopped hazelnuts, the remaining Parmesan, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or hazelnut oil and the remaining thyme leaves.