Sweetcorn Risotto with ’Nduja & Basil Recipe

Ingredients

For the risotto:
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g carnaroli or arborio rice
200ml dry white wine
800ml chicken stock, warm
60g unsalted butter, cubed
25g Parmesan, finely grated
For the sweetcorn purée:
3 corn on the cobs
50ml chicken stock, warm
3 tbsp mascarpone
For the garnish:
50g ’nduja (skin removed if it has any)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A few small basil leaves
4 knobs of unsalted butter

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Method

1. For the risotto, heat a large pan with 1 tbsp olive oil, then add the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 7 mins, stirring until the onion turns translucent, then add the rice and stir for a minute to toast it. Pour in the wine and stir until it has all been absorbed, then pour in some of the warm stock and stir until it’s absorbed. Keep slowly adding the stock, bit by bit, until it’s all used up; don’t rush it (it will take around 20 mins) and stir often.

2. In the meantime, remove the husks from the sweetcorn, then cook the cobs for 5 mins in a pan of salted boiling water. Leave to cool (or run under cold water), then slice off the kernels. Reserve a few kernels for a garnish, then put the rest in a blender with the 50ml warm stock and whizz until smooth. Add the mascarpone and whizz briefly again.

3. Once the rice has absorbed all the stock, remove the pan from the heat, add the sweetcorn purée, butter and Parmesan, beat with a wooden spoon, then cover with a lid and leave to sit for a few minutes.

4. Meanwhile, add the ’nduja and oil to a pan and gently heat to melt the fat in the ’nduja. Divide the risotto among bowls and drizzle the ’nduja over the top. Scatter with the basil leaves and finish with the reserved sweetcorn, a knob of butter and some black pepper.

5. Be A Better Cook
Although relatively easy to make, risotto is a needy creation so you have to show it some love on the hob. The regular stirring is an integral step to the dish; it encourages the rice to release its natural starch and makes the risotto so wonderfully creamy. Taste the rice grains regularly to check on their progress. You want to undercook them very slightly as they’ll continue to cook for 5 more minutes when you take the pan off the heat.

6. Easy Swaps
For a meat-free alternative to ’nduja with similar fiery heat, try replacing it with harissa. You probably won’t have to add any extra oil to it. You can replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock too.