We bought some chestnuts last week without really knowing what to do with them so I spent a little time looking for recipes online. I found a Jamie Oliver risotto recipe that I liked the sound of but it sounded pretty complicated so we decided to take the basic elements and do our own version.
I started by frying off some pancetta until the fat had rendered and then removing it from the pan. At the same time, I roasted off some butternut in the oven until in some oil and pepper. The chestnuts were roasted yesterday so they were simply peeled and chopped.
In the same pan the pancetta had cooked in, we followed a basic risotto recipe and then added in the pancetta, butternut and chestnuts at the end.
It was a really good dish; the smokiness of the pancetta was complemented by the sweetness of the butternut and the chestnuts, although not crunchy, provided a good contrast in texture to the creamy risotto.
I love the little pearls. I wish I can get my hands on this grain of rice without having to pay an arm and a leg here!
Mrs Ergül’s last blog post..Champiñones al Ajillo