Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to the boil. Tip in 250g of peas and let them cook for 2 minutes, then drain. Process half the peas in a blender until they are as smooth as you can get them. Remove the purée from the blender into a small bowl (better to do this now – it is difficult if you leave it to cool.) Reserve the rest of the whole peas. Bring 750ml of vegetable or chicken stock to the boil, then remove from the heat.
Peel and finely chop 1 small onion. Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil or 50g of butter in a medium-sized pan with a heavy base and stir in the chopped onion. Season with a pinch of salt and fry until the onion is soft and translucent, but not coloured. Stir in 180g of risotto rice, let it cook briefly, then stir in 100ml of white wine or white vermouth (I often use Noilly Prat) and wait until it has been absorbed by the rice.
Pour a ladle of the hot stock over the rice. Let the rice cook for another couple of minutes until the stock has almost – though not quite – been absorbed, then introduce another ladle of stock, and continue cooking, adding stock, stirring and letting the rice swell, until the stock is used up and the rice is plump and creamy.
Stir the pea purée adding the cooked whole peas, the grated zest of a lemon and a handful of shredded basil leaves. Check the seasoning. If you are making a non-vegan version, then stir in a walnut-sized knob of butter as you serve. Enough for 2. Ready in 45 minutes
A light, summery risotto, that can be made with oil or butter, chicken or vegetable stock and which does not need cheese (though you are, of course, welcome to stir a handful in at the end).
I like to add pea shoots as I ladle the rice into bowls, letting them soften slightly in the warmth of the rice.
Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater
