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Tomato risotto

From Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets (BBC): http://www.raymondblanc.com/
The tomato essence ideally needs to be made one day in advance and hung overnight. A Risotto is a simple dish but a complicated process. By stirring the risotto at the end you will extract the natural starch; lending it a creamy consistency. You don’t need to stand over the dish stirring all the time, in my opinion it is exhausting and it does very little for the finished dish. Over-cooking the risotto only takes 1 minute; you want your rice to be “al Dente” – to the tooth. It should have a little bit of bite left in the grain, so taste at all stages of cooking and remember practice makes perfect. Serves: 2

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
½ onion, finely chopped
¼ garlic clove, crushed
200g/17½oz risotto rice, such as carnaroli
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g/5oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in cubes
300ml/10½fl oz water
300ml/10½fl oz tomato essence
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 baby fennel, sliced
2 baby courgettes, halved lengthways and sliced into 1cm/½in thick pieces
½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
80g/3oz peas
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
4 tsp freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
4 tbsp fresh micro leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Heat a pan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and gently fry the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.

3. Add the rice, stirring well to coat in the olive oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, or until the rice is translucent. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Add the butternut squash to the pan and mix well. Add the water and half of the tomato essence, then bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Place the remaining tomato essence into a saucepan and warm through.

6. Meanwhile, place the halved cherry tomatoes onto a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes, or until the tomatoes are just tender and collapsed slightly.

7. By now, the rice should have absorbed all of the liquid. Remove the lid and stir well. Add the courgettes and coriander seeds and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the peas, mascarpone and parmesan and stir well, adding a little extra tomato essence if the risotto is too dry.

8. To serve, spoon the risotto into a small serving bowl. Top with a few roasted tomatoes, a little sprinkling of parmesan and some micro leaves. Spoon over the warmed tomato essence.