ROAST CHESTNUT AND CRANBERRY RISOTTO

ROAST CHESTNUT AND CRANBERRY RISOTTO image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 10

300g sweet chestnuts (aim to get about 200g once shelled)
100g dried cranberry
half a large white onion or one red onion
optional garlic 1-2 cloves to taste
500g risotto rice
3 pints of veg stock
1/3 of a nutmeg grated
125g wensleydale or red leicester, grated
a sprig of fresh thyme, chopped
Butter, for frying

Steps:

Roast the chestnuts (200C on a metal tray for about 20 mins should work, the shells will start to split when they're done. Be careful, one or two will pretend to be giant bits of popcorn and just explode) Shell and chop the nuts (I found chopping the nut in two with a sharp knife and scooping the flesh out with the handle of a teaspoon was faster than trying to peel them) Fine chop the onion and fry in butter until translucent, add some garlic if you like. Throw in the risotto rice and stir for about 2-3mins. Add the chopped nuts, and cranberries, then add half a pint of stock. Simmer. Stir continuously until its nearly absorbed and then add some more. Add the nutmeg. Keep adding a bit of stock and letting it absorb until you have about half a pint left. Stir regularly so that no rice sticks. Throw in your grated cheese and let it melt through the yum. Add the thyme and the rest of the stock, stir it some more until its all nice and gloopy. Serve alone, or with a baby leaf salad. Enjoy!