Chard Comté Risotto

Chard Comté Risotto

Provençal Kitchen Ep 1: Chard Comté Risotto

Welcome to a new series of 5 episodes inspired by the produce here in the South of France. Join me and see what I find in the market and later cook at home. First up is a massive bunch of chard, which I used to make a very silky sauce for risotto with Comté, topped with a few fried courgettes. This was a winning dinner!

Ingredients:

Serves: 2

For the Topping:

• 1 small courgette, finely sliced with a mandolin

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Base:

• 140g chard (including the stalks), ends trimmed, leaves and stalks separated and chopped

• Juice of half a lemon

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 banana shallot, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, diced

• 160g risotto rice

• 80ml white wine

• 1L hot vegetable stock

• 40g comté, finely grated

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Courgettes: Set a large frying pan to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Fry 1/3 of the sliced courgettes for 2 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining courgettes in batches. Set aside.

2. Cook the Chard: Set a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the chard stalks and cook for 3 minutes, then add the leaves and cook for another 5 minutes until both are soft. Drain, saving the cooking water.

3. Blend the Chard: Add half of the chard to a blender with 200ml of the cooking water and a small squeeze of lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining chard.

4. Prepare the Risotto: Set a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil and the diced shallot. Fry for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the risotto rice and mix well. Pour in the white wine and stir until the liquid disappears.

5. Cook the Risotto: Make stock with the leftover 600ml of cooking water. Add a few ladles of stock to the risotto, stirring constantly. Continue to add stock as the liquid is absorbed, cooking for about 17 minutes. Then, start to add the chard sauce, continuing for another 5 minutes.

6. Finish the Risotto: Stir in the grated Comté cheese and season with salt and pepper.

7. Plate and Serve: Plate the risotto, topping it with the fried courgettes and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Join me for the rest of the Provençal Kitchen series and discover more delicious recipes inspired by the fresh produce of the South of France. This Chard Comté Risotto is just the beginning!