Beetroot Risotto
The beetroots are ready for harvesting. I’ve kept true to my New Year to-do, which was to plant smaller quantities so we don’t have a glut. Without having to include beetroot in a juice every day for the next couple of weeks, I can focus on some dishes that scream ruby red, earthy goodness. I don’t know what people have to fear about beetroot. Anything that can belongs in a hamburger is inherently good, and so it is with beetroot.
First up is a beetroot risotto. I first tried this risotto many years ago at Fins Restaurant inside The Beach Hotel, while on holiday in Byron Bay (whose owner and head chef, Steven Snow, now operates Fins an hour north at Kingscliff). Dean and I were on our honeymoon and it was a big deal for us to go to a hatted restaurant for a meal. The following Christmas, Dean bought me the Byron Bay Cookbook and in it was the recipe for the exact meal I ate at Fins that night.
Not only does the beetroot impart its glorious colour throughout the rice, but also its unpretentious flavour. And I can’t go past anything with pinot noir. It’s my personal favourite when it comes to wine and this translates with equal fervor when it’s incorporated into a recipe. The kicker in this meal is the saffron aioli. A little garlicky-lemon prawn, a dob of risotto and a bit of creamy aioli on your fork – truly delicious. I made more than I needed so I could try it with paella as Andy from The Cellar Restaurant does.
Prawns with Beetroot and Pinot Noir Risotto and Saffron Aioli
Serves 4
12 king prawns, shelled and cleaned
Garlic & Lemon Butter
50g butter
50ml olive oil
1 colve garlic, chopped
1tablespoon lemon rind, grated
1 teaspoon thyme
Beetroot & Pinot Noir Risotto
50ml olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
125g Arborio rice
125ml beetroot juice
125ml pinot noir
500ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tbs parsley, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Saffron Aioli
1 egg yolk
½ tbs Dijon mustard
pinch saffron
½ tbs white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
125ml vegetable oil
½ tbs hot water
To make the aioli combine the egg yolks, mustard, saffron, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender. Slowly add the vegetable oil in a steady stream, until it thickens and then add the hot water.
For the flavoured butter, combine the butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon rind and thyme in a bowl.
To make the risotto, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add onion, garlic and cook for 2 minutes (the short initial cooking time leaves the onion a little crunchy), then add the rice and stir through to coat the grains. Slowly start to add the pinot noir, beetroot juice and then the stock a little at a time, stirring continually. Add the bay leaf and the parsley and then season with salt and pepper. When the rice is cooked, remove the bay leaf.
Heat a frying pan on high and add the flavoured butter until it foams. Add the prawns turning once browned.
Spoon the risotto on a plate, top with prawns and serve the aioli on the side.
Adapted from The Byron Bay Cookbook
I”m not a lover of beetroot I usually take it out of the hamburger when I buy one or ask for it not to be included. Having read your blog and in particular looking at the pictures I must say I love the colour of the dish so I’m going to try your recipe and will let you know if mine turns out as good as yours looks.
Looks amazing! I’ll be trying it this weekend.
WOW! Look at that vibrant colour. This one is definitely on my winter to-cook list!
Oh wow, this look so, so delicious!
mmm you’ve totally inspired me – to plant some beetroots and to make this risotto. I’m a huge beetroot fan in any form. My fave is the grated beetroot salad in The Cooks Companion
This is one of my favourite dishes.Beetroot is so good in so many things.How can you take beetroot off a burger christine ,thats crazy.
I love this paticular section using beetroot. I used to make this dish (always cheating with canned beetroot!) to scare my mother-in-law. She’s very much a meat and three veg kinda woman and is always mystified/shocked/confused by new modern foods and the crazy/nonsense/silly things young people do in the kitchen. “It’s all a waste of time” according to her. Well, I’m doing my best to bring her around and show her that it’s fun and easy to try new things. I have showed her your blog and she was very interested…..not that she’d admit it. Keep it coming
Looks so yummy! can’t wait to give it a go
Yum that looks delicious..what a great combination with the prawns, I might just give this one a whirl on saturday eve, thanks Siobhan!