Courgette Flower Risotto

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This is my favourite dish to date and I am pleased to say that I pretty much made this one up on the spot! I absolutely love courgette flowers and I knew that I wanted to add them to a dish for my Nonna’s birthday (Italian grandma, featured above). In what I like to call my eureka moment…I thought risotto and it works so well as a light summer dish! Even my Nonna loved it….and as you can imagine, as an Italian grandma, she is hard to please!

First of all it is very important to prep the courgette flowers…and I did this with my Nonna the day before. Obviously in Italy there is a wider supply of courgette flowers and we were able to get a whole bag from the local market for £2 but do try growing some in your garden (if I can do this – and I am the world’s worst gardener – you most certainly can). To prep the flowers:

1. Take out the stigma/pollon stub in the middle of the flower.

2. Take off any dead leaves.

3. Peel the stem at the bottom to take off the sticky top layer – you’ll want to use this stem in your dish and it does not taste good with this top layer on.

4. Fill the sink with cold water, leave the flowers in here to soak and wash through about 3/4 times to clean.

5. Steam these until soft and cooked through.

6. Drain, leave to cool and pop them into the fridge until you need them.

To cook the risotto:

Ingredients:

1. White onion – always better in a risotto.

2. Garlic.

3. Risotto Rice.

4. Stock Cubes – check for wheat and gluten!

5. Courgette Flowers.

6. Chicken.

7. Red pepper.

8. Small orange tomatoes.

Method:

1. Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in a frying pan.

2. Make up the stock and leave this to one side (I usually place this in a measuring jug to add bit by bit later.

3. Stir risotto rice into the onion and garlic base and slowly add the stock, it will need a fair bit at the start but do not drown it! Rookie mistake!

4. Add the chopped pre-cooked chicken pieces and stir.

5. Add finely chopped red pepper and stir.

6. Cook until risotto is to taste and the pepper is soft. Yep this means that you have to just keep cheeky tasting it until it is right!

7. At the last 10 mins or so, add the prepped courgette flowers in and stir.

8. Add a sprinkle of salt in at this point too.

9. At the last 5 mins add whole orange tomatoes (I prefer them this way as they keep their flavour and soak into the risotto) and a sprinkle of parmesan.

10. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.

I really hope you enjoy this one and please do let me know what you think of my recipe!