Roast Celeriac Risotto

You can't beat a classic risotto. I love the soothing relaxation you get from stirring the pot gently (usually with a glass of wine in hand) and then the hug in a bowl that arrives full of creamy cheesy goodness. This version is basic at its core but with the addition of roasted celeriac which brings a hint of sweetness and savouriness at the same time.

There's lots of ways to change this recipe up to suit your taste - swap the celeriac for any roast vegetable. Stir through cooked chicken or sautéed mushrooms. To make this veggie, just use vegetable stock and swap the Parmesan for your favourite hard cheese. To make it vegan, swap the butter for extra olive oil and use a vegan cheese alternative. Whatever you do, just make it!

Roast Celeriac Risotto
Serves 4-6

oil

1 celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ a head of celery, finely chopped

400g risotto rice

500ml white vermouth or white wine

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 

90g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

3 tbsp unsalted butter 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the celeriac into a roasting tin then drizzle over a good glug of oil, season well with salt and pepper then toss to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning half way through.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and 1 tbsp butter over a low heat, add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry gently for about 10 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Add the rice and turn up the heat – the rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. 

After 1 minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring. Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of stock and a good pinch of sea salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, taste and season to perfection.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the rest of the butter and the Parmesan, then stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes – this is the most important part of making the perfect risotto! Finally, stir through the roasted celeriac and serve, with extra Parmesan to grate over if you like.