One thing we are not short of is rosemary. Turn 360° here and you will see romero. So to find a recipe for rosemary risotto seems like it was made for us. Like all risottos, it seems more intimidating than it is: just a few minutes stirring and it is done. This quantity is for six. I made half for two of us. The leftovers will go into the fridge, risotto is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day. For 6
1 litre vegetables stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g very ripe plum tomatoes
50g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 branches of very fresh rosemary, the leaves picked from the stalks, finely chopped
6 small sprigs of fresh rosemary for serving
300g risotto rice
6 tsp mascarpone
200g parmesan, grated

Heat the stock, and check the seasoning. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water. Wait a moment, drain and place in cold water. Skin and seed them into a sieve over a bowl to reserve the juices. Discard the seeds and skin. Chop the tomatoes finely. In a heavy-bottomed pan heat the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until soft and slightly-coloured. Add the garlic and chopped rosemary, cook for a minute and then add half of the tomato pulp. Stir to allow the tomato to reduce for 3-4 minutes before adding the rice. Stir the rice into the sauce to allow it to absorb the red of the tomato, cooking it for about 5 minutes. Start adding the stock, ladle by ladle, alternating it with the reserved tomato liquid. Stir constantly and allow each ladleful to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next.

Add the remaining chopped tomato pulp about halfway through the cooking. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is al dente, usually about 20 minutes. Check for seasoning.

Serve with a spoon of mascarpone, some parmesan, and a sprig of rosemary. 5 to remember

el condimento – the seasoning
el risotto – the risotto
intimidante – intimidating
la pulpa – the pulp [vegetable]
un colador – a sieve [for liquids]

‘River Café Cook Book Two’ by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers