- 1 onion
- 1 celery stick
- 2 courgettes
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 lemon
- A handful of thyme
- 200g risotto rice
- 100g white crab meat
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 800ml boiling water
- 1.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Trim the dry ends off the celery and finely slice it. Trim and finely chop or coarsely grate the courgettes.
- 2.
Warm a medium pan over a medium-low heat for 2 mins, then add 2 tsp olive oil and the veg. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pop a lid on the pan and sweat the veg for 10 mins, stirring once or twice, till the veg have started to soften.
- 3.
While the veg sweat, crumble the stock cube into a heatproof jug and stir in 800ml boiling water to dissolve it. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Run your fingers down the thyme sprigs to pick off the leaves.
- 4.
Stir most of the lemon zest and thyme (keep a pinch of each back for garnishing) into the softened veg. Stir in the risotto rice. Cook and stir for 2 mins.
- 5.
Add a splash of vegetable stock, around 100-150ml, to the pan. Cook, stirring a few times, till all the stock has been absorbed. It should take around 25 mins. If it's cooking more quickly, turn the heat down a little.
- 6.
Flake in the crab meat and add the final splash of stock. Cook and stir for 5 mins till the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- 7.
Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon. Taste the risotto and add a pinch more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Ladle the risotto into 2 warm bowls. Scatter over the last few thyme leaves and a pinch of lemon zest. Serve with wedges of the remaining lemon for squeezing.
- 8.