Riverford's Wet & Wild Garlic Risotto

This time last year I planted two small clumps of wild garlic in a shady part of the garden.  I have to say I had forgotten about them until my partner read it out as an option on the veg box choices. And so was thrilled to discover that both plants had survived the snowy winter.

The question is how to harvest the garlic. I have been painstakingly trimming off the larger leaves sprouting out of each tiny bulb but now wonder how it would fare if I just gave each clump a short back and sides? My selective method only yields a modest handful at best and got lost in our leek & bacon risotto tonight so the recipe below is from Riverford which gives the garlic the starring role.

Wet & Wild Garlic Risotto
If you live near woods where wild garlic covers the floor just pick a handful of leaves for this recipe. If not you'll find wild garlic in our shop in the months of March and April. No wet garlic in the fridge? The recipe works just as well without the wet garlic.

• 30g butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 wet garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 250g risotto rice (arborio)
• splash white wine or vermouth
• 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (hot)
• large handful wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped
• 50g parmesan, grated finely
• wild garlic flowers to garnish

1. Cook garlic and onion slowly in some butter and oil for about 10 minutes without colouring. Add rice, turn up the heat and cook until the rice is coated with garlic mix, season and add alcohol. Stir until the wine has been absorbed.
2. Next, add the stock until rice is just covered and turn down the heat. Maintain rice at a gentle simmer and keep adding stock once the last addition has been absorbed. After about 10 minutes add wild garlic leaves and stir into rice. Add more stock. After another 5 minutes, when rice is just cooked but has some bite, add the butter and cheese.
3. Season and serve with a sprinkling of cheese and some wild garlic flowers if the fancy takes you!

© 2011 Riverford Organic Vegetables Limited