Tonight’s recipe

Corn and bacon risotto with chive oil

Serves 3-4 Ingredients For the chive oil

1 small bunch chives

2 tbsp parsley

2 garlic cloves, peeled 250ml extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed rapeseed oil

For the risotto

160g smoked pancetta, lardons or chopped up bacon rashers Corn kernels stripped from two ears of corn

Olive oil, for frying

2 tbsp butter

2 onions, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 350g risotto rice

350ml white wine 500ml chicken stock, or more 1 lemon, juiced

3 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated

Method

all the ingredients in a blender along with a good pinch of salt. Blitz until smooth and set aside.

Next, fry the pancetta in a small frying pan over a medium flame. When it’s starting to brown, add the corn. Fry until the kernels soften and take on a little colour too. Set aside.

Then make the risotto. Set a large pan over a low to medium heat with a good glug of oil and half the butter. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for five minutes, or until starting to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for another two or three minutes.

Turn up the heat and add the rice. Stir occasionally, cooking until the rice has become translucent.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble up. When all the liquid is absorbed, start adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously and only adding more stock when the last ladleful has been absorbed.

When the rice is tender add the lemon, the rest of the butter and Parmesan. Add half the corn and pancetta. Stir, put a lid on and leave for a couple of minutes.

Serve in warm bowls with extra corn and pancetta on top and a good drizzle of the herb oil.