First posted: Jan 31, 2011
Easy Baked Beetroot & Goats Cheese Risotto
Did you hear that people? Baked. Not Stirred. Get excited.
This was originally going to be a book recipe, but my dear friend Kate mentioned the other day that she has a gorgeous new Le Creuset Christmas-present-pot just waiting to be christened so I thought it only fitting that I get this NO-STIR risotto recipe out to her asap.
The only other thing to add is that though not many things in life are just plain black or white, and ones relationship with beetroot does usually seem to be clearly categorised as either love or hate. If it’s the former, enjoy the final result of a gorgeously gooey pink risotto. If not, where you see beetroot, say butternut instead and you should be good to go.
One more aside – I tested this on our betroot-allergic friend Traff and even he admitted ‘that rice and purple stuff really was rather nice, but it must have been fluke’, so there you go, fluke or not it’s pretty yummy.
Ingredients
Cooks in: Serves:4
- 6 fresh beetroot heads / about 500g
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped (I prefer red)
- 1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice) / about 250g
- Half a cup white wine / about 125ml
- 700ml vegetable stock
- Quarter cup grated parmesan
- 1 roll of goats cheese (about 125g)
- 4 Tbsp sour cream / mascarpone
- Handful chopped fresh dill
What to do
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Peel and trim the beetroots and cut into large wedges. Microwave on high for 8 minutes then transfer to a foil-lined baking tray, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a further 30 minutes or until tender. 2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid (enter Kate's hot aubergine-coloured pot!). Add in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until it starts to go a light golden brown. 3. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil, add the white wine, simmer for 5 mins. 4. Add the stock, stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 20-25 mins until the rice is soft and the liquid has all been absorbed (risotto SHOULD seem slightly stodgy). 5. Remove the beetroot from the oven. Blend ¼ of it to make a purée, then chop the rest into small pieces. (My blender was broken so I did the best I could with a fork, either way it all tastes the same!) 6. Add most of the Parmesan, crumble in the goats cheese, the beetroot purée and chopped beetroot to the risotto and serve with some soured cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top. Notes
*It's a VERY good idea to use kitchen gloves when peeling the beetroot if you don't want your hands to get stained pink
*If using butternut you might need slightly less time in the oven, just check it's ready by pricking with a fork and if the fork comes away easily remove from the oven.
*If you don't have an oven proof pan with a lid don't be put off baked risottos forever, you can fry the ingredients in a normal stove-top pan and then add rice and stock mixture to a casserole dish with a lid and bake from there.
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