Baked Sugar Snap & Bacon Risotto
This risotto has fabulous flavours thanks to smoky bacon, sweet leeks and crisp sugar snap peas. Finish with fresh mint.
Method
7 steps
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C (fan)/ 350°F/ Gas 4.
Heat a large, wide-based pan with 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the bacon lardons and cook for 6 min or until golden and crisp.
Meanwhile, cut the leek in half lengthways and wash carefully to remove any grit from between the leaves.
Slice the leek finely, discarding the tough tops, outer leaves and root end.
Boil a kettle.
Once the bacon is crisp, add the sliced leek to the pan.
Cook for 3-4 min or until starting to soften.
Add the arborio rice and cook for 2 min, stirring to coat the grains in the oil.
Dissolve a chicken stock cube in 550ml boiled water.
Stir the stock into the rice and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the rice mixture to an oven-proof dish.
Put the dish in the oven for 20 min or until the rice is cooked.
Meanwhile, strip the mint leaves from their stems and chop them finely.
Trim and slice the spring onions finely.
Once the baked risotto is ready, remove it from the oven.
Stir in the sugar snap peas and sliced spring onion.
Return to the oven for 5 min to warm through.
Serve the baked risotto in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, season generously with pepper.
Garnish with the chopped mint.