TODAY’S RECIPE: Pea & rocket risotto with chicken

SUPERB supper. SERVES 4 Ingredients

1 litre vegetable stock 250g fresh peas, pods reserved 200g asparagus (woody ends reserved), sliced Parsley (25g), leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved 3tbsp olive oil 50g butter 1 onion, chopped 300g risotto rice Glass white wine 100g podded, blanched broad beans 3 skinless chicken breasts 50g Parmesan, grated Handful wild rocket

Method

1 To make the base, bring stock to the boil and add the pea pods and asparagus ends. Simmer for two minutes, add parsley stalks and take off the heat. Use a stick blender to blitz everything to make a green stock, then sieve. Set aside.

2 Heat 2tbsp oil and half the butter in a wide pan. Sizzle onion until soft. Turn up the heat, tip in the rice and stir well. Pour in the wine and cook until it has been absorbed by the rice.

3 Gradually add stock to rice, stirring and letting it absorb before adding next ladleful. Once rice is starting to soften — after about 20 minutes — stir in peas and asparagus. With rice just cooked, stir in beans.

4 Heat 1tbsp oil in a frying pan. Season chicken and fry each side until cooked.

5 Once cooked, take risotto off heat and scatter over Parmesan, remaining butter and parsley. Cover and leave. Slice chicken, stir risotto, season and scatter over rocket. Serve topped with the chicken.