English Risotto

Frankly, I may be biased, but I think this was a work of genius.

I'm a big fan of "fusion food". Well, perhaps that's not quite the word. Certainly multicultural food. I love mixing the flavours of one culture with the traditional dish of another. This may be the result of growing up in Melbourne, which is a melting pot as far as food is concerned.

The basis for this dish is "risotto with English flavours". As my partner, Steph, said: "Think a risotto with English pub food": lamb with mint, spinach, potatoes with rosemary, mushrooms, worchestershire sauce. I used a mix of vegie and "chicken" stock to mimic the approximate flavour tone of lamb.


English Risotto

1 onion
1–2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 C brown rice (preferably risotto rice, or other short-grained rice)
1 L vegie and 1 1/2 L "chicken" stock, combined
200g mushrooms, diced
500g potato (about two large), diced
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tB vegan worchestershire sauce (or mushroom ketchup)
100g spinach, chopped
4–5 sprigs mint, torn

Steamfry onions and garlic. Add rice and 1/2 a cup of stock. Add mushrooms, potato, rosemary and worchestershire.

Stir frequently, adding a 1/4 cup of stock when it begins to dry.

When rice is mostly cooked, add spinach and mint, and continue stirring until rice is cooked and spinach is just wilted.