I used to cook risotto all the time, it’s a nice easy thing to cook. You can use the rice as a blank canvas and anything you like and it normally turns out really well. I’m not a risotto purist, I don’t have a pot of stock simmering on the hob while I make risotto, I do make stock occasionally, but mostly I use a stock cube (these ones in fact) and use one cube to a litre of water. You don’t have to stir this all the time but the more you stir, the creamier it will be.

There was a packet of arborio rice that needed using up lurking in the cupboard and some chicken left over from a roast. So it was time to make some risotto. Generally I think that risotto should be kept simple but it’s easy to get carried away and add loads of stuff to it. I started this one off with chicken, onion and mushrooms but decided that it looked a little beige, so threw in some peas at the last minute to add some colour. It’s not too overloaded and tasted really good.

The ‘recipe’ below serve two greedy people. I ate it for dinner, had some for lunch the next day and used the rest to make a sort of arancini.

What

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4oz/110g cooked chicken, chopped

2 large chesnut mushrooms, chopped

7oz/200g risotto rice

2fl oz/60ml vermouth

2 pints/1 litre hot chicken stock

A couple of handfuls of frozen peas

2oz/50g gevrik goats cheese  (anything with a rind will do!)

How

1) Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.

2) Add the chicken and mushrooms and cook for another minute or two.

3) Add the rice and combine everything together, making sure that rice is coated in the oil

4) Add the vermouth and stir until it has been absorbed into the rice.

5) Add about a cupful of the stock and stir in until absorbed. Continue to do this, a cupful at a time. When you’ve got about about 2 cupfuls of stock left add the peas.

6) When all the stock is used up and the rice is creamy, take off the each and add the cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted. Season to taste.

7) Eat with a green salad or by itself.