ORANGE RISOTTO WITH TOASTED ALMONDS
Ingredients
• 1 sweet orange
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ½ stem of lemongrass, very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp white pepper, optional
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp almond, sliced
• Cherry tomato, to garnish
• Fresh basil, optional, to garnish
• Mozzarella cheese, to garnish
Method
Slice the orange from the top and keep aside a couple of slices for garnish. Squeeze the remaining orange for juice and keep aside.
Heat olive oil in a pan and add the rice.
Sauté and add lemongrass and orange zest to the rice.
Add the stock in batches and press down the rice with the back of a ladle in order to release the starch.
Cook rice continuously for approximately 15- 18 minutes.
When the rice is slightly tender, add the juice, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add cheese.
Heat butter in another pan and toast the almonds slightly before adding to the cooked risotto.
Serve hot with cherry tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 1 ½ tsp yeast
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/ 3 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 2 ½ tbsp melted butter
• 4 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp extra for yeast
• ½ cup warm milk
• Oil, for frying
For the caramel sauce:
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 stem lemongrass 1- inch cinnamon stick
For dusting:
• 4 tbsp brown icing sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
For the apricot orange sorbet:
• 8 apricots
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ stem lemongrass
• 2 star anise
• 1- inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cups orange juice
• Raspberry, to garnish
Method
For the sauce, heat sugar in a pan till slightly brown. Add water, lemongrass and cinnamon stick.
Bring it to the boil and reduce by half. Remove from heat and cool.
Mix 1 tsp sugar with warm water and add yeast to rise. Sieve the flour and baking powder.
Mix all the ingredients for the doughnuts together in a mixing bowl and cover with cling film.
Set aside in a warm place for 40- 50 minutes and allow it to rise.
Knead the dough and roll out onto an even surface, about ½ cm thick. Use two circular cookie cutter to cut out the doughnuts.
Heat oil and deep- fry the doughnuts in batches till light brown.
Dip the top side of each doughnut in caramel sauce and arrange on a plate.
For the sorbet, soak the apricots in water for at least two hours.
Boil them with the sugar, lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon stick. When the apricots are a little tender, remove from the fire. Discard the star anise and cinnamon stick, and set aside to cool.
Add the orange juice and purée in a blender. Then cool in a chiller for 20- 25 mins. Serve in a glass, garnished with raspberry.
When ready to serve, mix the brown sugar with cinnamon powder and dust over the doughnuts. Serve with the sorbet, garnished with raspberry.