Creamy Cauliflower Risotto with Prosciutto

As we move into Autumn, the comfort foods are well and truly back and risotto is one of my all-time faves. This recipe uses a couple of tricks from Jamie Oliver - using some of the cauliflower blitz up instead of just risotto rice and leaving the risotto to rest off the heat with the lid on to become gloriously gooey.

You could make this recipe vegetarian by using vegetable stock and leaving off the prosciutto but if you are a meat-eater, the saltiness from the ham works perfectly with the rest of the dish. If you don't want to use the white wine, replace the volume with extra stock but again, the flavour is better with it in!

Creamy Cauliflower Risotto with Prosciutto

Serves 4

oil

½ head of cauliflower

20g butter

1 onion

2 carrots, washed

250g risotto rice

300ml white wine (optional)

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp dried Italian herbs

50g Parmesan

4 slices of prosciutto

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C. Peel and roughly chop the onion, remove the end from the carrot and roughly chop then tip both into a food processor and blitz until fine. Drizzle a little oil in a large casserole or saucepan pan over a low heat and add half of the butter. When foaming, pour in the blitzed onion and carrot, season with a large pinch of salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Leave to soften for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut off little florets from the cauliflower and put into a small roasting tin. Drizzle with oil and season with salt, pepper and the dried herbs. Toss to coat and then roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Put the rest of the cauliflower and any nice looking leaves into the food processor and blitz until fine.

Put the risotto rice and blitzed cauliflower into the onion pan and turn the heat up to medium. Lightly toast for a couple of minutes, making sure the rice is nicely coated with the oil and butter. Pour in the white wine (if using) and bubble away, stirring occasionally until reduced to almost nothing.

Add your first ladle of hot stock, turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and add the rest of the butter and grate in the Parmesan. Check the seasoning and stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes - this is really important! It lets the risotto relax and become really creamy and oozy. Divide between four bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower and a slice of prosciutto and enjoy!