Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil, or groundnut oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- a fistful of thyme, leaves picked, or 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 100g bacon
- 200g rice
- knob of butter
- 100g chestnuts, tinned or vacuum-packed, or 2 big handfulls fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 800ml chicken stock
- 50g hard, strong cheese, such as Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium frying pan, then add the onion and garlic with the thyme, or the dried mixed herbs. Sweat over a low heat for 810 minutes to soften the onions and sweeten the garlic, stirring every now and again. Chop the bacon.
- When the onions have softened, add the rice and butter. Stir to melt the butter, and turn up the heat. When the ends of the rice grains are translucent, add the bacon and chestnuts, and stir again.
- Pour over a little stock, around a quarter of it, and leave to absorb. When the rice has drunk all the liquid, add another quarter, and stir. Repeat until all the stock is used up and the rice is tender and soupy. Taste, and season.
- Remove from the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Grate the cheese, scatter over the top and serve.
Taken from ‘A Year in 120 Recipes’ by Jack Monroe (Penguin Michael Joseph)
