Ingredients
| 1 tbsp olive oil |
| 200g smoked bacon lardons |
| 1 large onion, finely chopped |
| 1 clove garlic, crushed |
| 6 sticks Fenland celery, cut into 1 cm pieces, reserve green leaves |
| 400g risotto rice |
| 150 ml dry white wine |
| 1.1 litres chicken or vegetable stock, heated |
| 150g blue cheese, cubed |
Step by step
- In a large frying pan heat the olive oil, add the bacon and cook until crispy, remove from the pan and reserve. Add the onion, garlic and Fenland celery and cook very slowly for 10 minutes without colouring, add the rice and turn up the heat, continue to stir for a minute until the rice is slightly translucent.
- Add the wine and allow to evaporate. Turn down the heat and gradually start adding the stock, stirring, allowing each addition of stock to be absorbed before adding the next, this will take approx. 15 -20 minutes.
- Check the rice is cooked, adding a little boiling water if necessary.
- Sprinkle over the cheese and bacon, cover and leave for 2 minutes.
- Stir lightly, the cheese will have melted and be oozing through the risotto, add a scattering of torn Fenland celery leaves and serve immediately.
Cook’s tip: Fenland celery is a heritage variety of celery grown in the Cambridgeshire Fens. In 2013, Fenland celery was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status and joined the ranks of Parma ham, Champagne and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies. Fenland celery is only grown in small pockets of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk using traditional farming methods. The deep, peaty soils in the Fens work towards giving Fenland celery its nutty-sweet flavour and paler colour. Fenland celery is available from October to December and can be found in Waitrose, Ocado, Wholefoods and Marks & Spencer.
