Risotto Con Piselli E Menta

This is a classic dish and as usual the marriage of peas and mint works like a charm.

Although it's not vegetarian, you could substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock and adjust the seasoning to compensate for the pancetta.

Serves 2

50g of butter
Splash of olive oil
1 onion chopped very finely
2 cloves of garlic crushed
100g pancetta roughly chopped
Small glass of crisp white wine (about 100ml)
500ml of hot chicken stock (you may not need it all)
175g risotto rice
Handful of mint roughly chopped
2 large handfuls frozen peas
Handful of  finely grated parmesan plus extra to serve
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter with a splash of olive oil and gently fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and pancetta and continue cooking for a minute or so. Now add the rice and stir gently until all the grains are coated. Pour in the wine and stir until it has nearly all been absorbed by the rice.

Throw in the peas and turn the heat to low. Gradually add the stock until the rice is al dente stirring regularly to make sure none sticks to the bottom. It should take about 20 minutes to cook so at about the 15 minute mark, add the chopped mint and the parmesan. Once cooked, season to taste and serve immediately.

You're looking for an oozy loose consistency so add a little more butter or a little more stock if not.