What you need: a couple of medium sized beetroots, olive oil, 4 large cloves of garlic (peeled & halved), 1L vegetable stock, knob of butter, an onion (finely chopped), 200g Arborio rice, 1 glass of red wine and some freshly grated parmesan.
What to do: First off, preheat oven to 180 C.
Peel the beetroot, and chop into 1.5 cm pieces. Toss with some olive oil in a baking dish, then place in the oven. After about 15 minutes, add the garlic cloves, and continue to cook until the beetroot is soft and the garlic is turning golden and sweet, about another 20 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
Make a risotto in the usual way. In a large pan, heat a knob of butter and a splash of olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion until it is soft and translucent. Add the rice, and toast for two minutes. Tip in the red wine, and stir till it is absorbed. Add a ladle of hot stock, stir until it is completely absorbed and the rice is on the verge of sticking, and then add the next ladle, and continue in this fashion for about 18-20 minutes, until the rice is about 5 minutes away from being done. Add the roasted beetroot and garlic, and stir, adding stock as before, for a further 4-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add the beetroot leaves and stir until they are wilted, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add a handful of grated parmesan and a final ladle of stock, stir well, then put the lid on the pan and leave it to rest for 1 - 2 minutes and then serve.
Serves 2-3 generously
