VEGETARIAN

Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes

⏳ Time

1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Recipe from the book 'Vegetables' by John Smith (© John Smith Enterprises Limited, 2019). Food Photography: David Johnson. Portrait Photography: Michael Brown.

Ingredients

Tomatoes - 6 pieces
Garlic - 1 piece
Thyme - 0.5 oz
Olive Oil - to taste
Chicken Broth - 1⅕ l
Onion - 1 piece
Fennel - 1 head
Butter - 2 pieces
Arborio rice - 15.9 oz
Dry martini - 5 fl oz
Parmesan Cheese - 2.8 oz

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 356°F. Remove the cores from the tomatoes and place them cut-side down in a suitably sized baking dish. Add a whole head of garlic and sprinkle with thyme sprigs. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with sea salt, and bake for about 1 hour, until the tomatoes start to burst, releasing their fragrant juices (which will be needed later).

Step 2

Bring the broth to a boil. Finely chop the onion and fennel (reserve the fennel fronds), place them in a large deep skillet, and set over medium heat, adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 piece of butter. Cook for 10 minutes until softened, but do not let it brown, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and sauté for another 2 minutes. Pour in the vermouth and cook, stirring, until it has completely evaporated. Add a ladle of broth and allow it to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue cooking this way, stirring constantly, until all the broth is used up — this will take about 16–18 minutes.

Step 3

Turn off the heat, add the remaining piece of butter and grated Parmesan, season, and mix thoroughly. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it sit for 2 minutes to allow the risotto to become creamy and smooth.

Step 4

Arrange on warm plates, placing a tomato and a clove of garlic on top of each. Sprinkle with fennel greens and drizzle with the aromatic juices from the roasting pan.