Red Snapper on Wild Garlic (Ramsons) Risotto

Wild garlic - a leafy spring herb

The spring started this week. The proof of it is all the fresh greens in the market as well as the buds on the trees and birds collecting small branches from my balcony to make nests.

Spring is here when the ramsons, aka bear’s garlic, arrive on the farmers´ market.

The ramsons make a refreshing pesto, a welcome competition to the traditional basil. A heap of flavour together with a prominent garlic taste all in one.

Dandellion

I am glad to see that there are greens that I don’t really know so well. More discoveries are awaiting if I get up early enough. This is how empty the market already is at 11:30.

Vegetable market in March

 

Ingredients for 2 portions

Ramsons Risotto:

50g ramsons leaves, the white ends removed

0.5dl olive oil

A pinch of sea salt or fleure de sel

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium small onion, finely chopped

1 dl of white wine or prosecco

4 good handfuls of carnaroli rice

0.5l vegetable bouillon

25g cold butter

Red snapper:

300g red snapper fillet

Salt, pepper

A little oil for the pan

Ramsons for the pesto

In a food processor or with a hand mixer crush the ramsons together with a pinch of salt and the olive oil into a pesto paste. Set aside for later.

Keep the hot bouillon at hand. Rinse the fish and dry it with the kitchen paper. Season the fish with salt and pepper and cut the filet into desired size pieces, more or less equal in size to ensure it cooks evenly. Set aside. Heat the oven to 130ºC.

Heat the oil in the risotto pan and cook the onion until a bit glassy. Add the rice and heat further. Splash the white wine or prosecco generously on the rice and let it evaporate. Slowly start adding some bouillon, not too much at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon. When the liquid reduces add some more bouillon and keep stirring frequently. When the risotto is almost done add the ramsons pesto, stir and cook until the rice is al dente.

Heat the grill pan with a little oil. Place the fish on the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Put the pan in the oven for 5 minutes.

Finish off the risotto by stirring cold butter into the risotto to make it creamy. When serving the risotto with fish I don’t add any parmesan.

Remove the fish from the oven and serve hot.

Bear´s (wild) garlic risotto and red snapper

Mushroom Risotto Recipe

There are two mushroom stands at the farmers´market in my town. One sells local Swiss and French mushrooms, the other one sells imported mushrooms and locally grown mushrooms (eg champignons). One can find cheaper Lithuanian chanterelles (French: girolles) at the second stand whilst the local and French prices are often 3-4 times pricier. If you are after very high quality, the local mushrooms, even though expensive, are really top and the variety in the best mushroom season is sufficient in 6-8 different types.

Wild yellow chanterelles (German: Gelbe Pfifferlinge)

A handful of a mix of wild and industrially grown mushrooms, another of yellow chanterelles and perhaps one of black chanterelles? Well, the black ones I did not get any more since the two ladies before me bought the last ones of the season. How unlucky! Now I have to wait till next year.
Despite different information that is around about the nutritional value of the mushrooms ranging from none at all to mushrooms contain some useful elements they do taste wonderful and look nice too.

Mushroom risotto

Mushroom risotto for two

200g mushrooms, as whole if smaller in size or sliced, but not into a thin mash
a knob of butter
salt


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g risotto rice (Carnaroli) (I measure ca. 5 handfuls)
1dl of white wine
1 l of bouillon
50g parmesan
20g butter

Heat the oil in a high pan and cook the onions for a few minutes until glassy. Add the rice to the onions.Cook and stir for another few minutes before adding the wine. Let the wine evaporate. Turn down the heat to medium. Keep the hot bouillon close and start adding it to the rice in small quantities. Let the liquid cook away before adding another small quantity. Stir and keep adding the bouillon slowly ladle by ladle. Taste to see how done the rice is. It should still have some bite and not become too soft. Al dente is the appropriate donness, usually after 15-18 minutes of cooking.

In the meanwhile when the risotto is cooking take another pan, place the cleaned dry mushrooms on the pan and cook at medium-high heat until the mushrooms let out the water. When the water has evaporated add a knob of butter and some salt and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes.

To finish the risotto add the parmesan and the butter and stir vigoroulsy till the butter has melted. Serve hot.

Wild mushroom risotto