Recipe: piquant saffron risotto, tomatoes and artichokes.

A fairly warming vegan dish for when it’s supposed to be summer, but it isn’t. Not really a risotto I guess as there’s no butter or parmesan, more of a Basque rice dish, or a form of paella - it’s a rice and spice thing. Great with the Bacchus.

Ingredients (for 2 - easily doubled)

100 - 120g risotto or paella rice

a decent pinch saffron - rehydrated in warm water

a shallot finely chopped

a garlic clove finely chopped

olive oil

glass of wine (Bacchus of course - maybe 2, one for the chef)

paprikas, about a teaspoon of ‘normal’ and a half teaspoon or more of hot smoked

a teaspoon of harissa paste.

a pinch of cayenne and / or a few drops of tobasco

a small red chilli finely chopped

a lemon

4 or 5 sun dried tomatoes

4 or 5 small grilled artichokes - I bought mine, but I had wine to make!

pretty green things for dressing (I used spinach in this one, would have loved to have used wild garlic, also could use rocket, parsley, chives etc).

Method - pretty much the usual risotto way.

Rehydrate the saffron in a few tablespoons of warm water.

Sauté the shallots (medium heat) in a table spoon olive oil in a heavy bottom pan.

When shallots are transparent, add the garlic and chilli - sauté for another minute, stop before garlic burns

Add the rice to the pan, stir to coat in oil.

Add the paprika and cayenne (if using)

Add the glass of wine (if still left, otherwise prepare another) and reduce by a bit.

Slowly add the hot stock, ladle by ladle, stirring frequently until the rice is almost cooked - probably about 20 mins.

A few minutes from the end of cooking: add the tomatoes and artichokes

pour in the saffron and the hydration water

squeeze in juice of quarter of a lemon and add harissa (optional) and season with salt if needed

stir a couple of tablespoons of olive oil through it.

Serve on to plates and decorate with something green and a slice of lemon. Pour Bacchus and enjoy.