Broccoli and lemon risotto

This lovely risotto is textural and beautifully herby, and very easy once you get past all the stirring!

Fresh from the garden: broccoli, marjoram, garlic, onion, lemon
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 8 or 30 tastes

What to do:

• Pour the stock into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer on medium heat.
• Wash and spin dry the marjoram, strip and discard the stems.
• Squeeze the garlic cloves through the press into a small bowl. Peel and finely chop the onion.
• Wash the broccoli & shake dry. Chop the stalk into 5mm cubes and add to the stock, reserving the florets.
• Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in the stockpot. Add the chopped onion and a cook gently until just tender, about three minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook gently for another few seconds.
• Stir in the rice until the grains separate and begin to crackle.
• Begin adding the simmering stock, a ladle at a time, and stir in. The stock should just cover the rice and bubble. Stir every minute or so for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, zest the lemon and grate the parmesan to yield about ½ cup.
• After about 15 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the rice and keep stirring for about another 5 minutes. When the rice is just tender all the way through but still slightly firm, usually in about 20 minutes, it is done.
• Add the last ladleful of stock and the rest of the broccoli to the rice. Stir in the marjoram, lemon zest and parmesan, and remove from the heat. Taste now and check the seasoning. The mixture should be creamy.
• Serve onto the soup plates and eat right away!

Notes: What sort of rice is Arborio? Why do we use this sort of rice? Why do we fry the rice off first? What does ‘yield’ mean? What does to check the seasoning mean?