Bacon, Balsamic and Black Pudding Risotto

We are coming towards the end of Organic Food Month and I’ve been trying to do my bit. I will admit to thinking in the past, that organic food was mainly for the rich and picky, expensive cuts of meat and teeny vegetables.

I was set the challenge of producing a recipe using organic products – I wanted to use every day ingredients that we would have in our fridges and cupboards. The weather started to change last week so I was right in the mood for a comforting risotto. I’ve talked about my love for risotto dishes before and am very familiar with preparing them.

What I used: Like a lot of people, I thought that buying organic meant spending a lot. I worked out the following costs for the ingredients I used:

Risotto Rice = 80P (£1.60 per packet)
Onion = 11p
Balsamic Vinegar = erm 5p? (£2.00 per bottle)
Black Pudding (unfortunately I was unable to get organic BP) = 65p (£1.25 for 4 slices)
Vegetable Stock = 20p
Bacon = approx £1.50 (This was the item that was the greatest difference between regular and organic)

Total cost of Risotto for 2-3 = £3.31

Serves	2-3
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	25 minutes
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish, Snack
Misc	Serve Hot

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Rashers of smoked back bacon
• 1/2 Small Onion (Chopped finely)
• 250g Sainsbury’s Organic Arborio Risotto Rice
• 1l Vegetable Stock
• 2 Slices of Black Pudding
• 1 knob Butter
• Sainsbury’s Organic Balsamic Vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1.
Chop the bacon into 1-2 cm pieces and cook through at the bottom of a large risotto/saute pan
2.
Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving to one side and add the onions. Sweat in the bacon fat until transparent
3.
Add the Risotto rice and approx 100ml of the vegetable stock, stirring continuously
4.
Keep adding the stock as it evaporates, while still stirring – Do not allow the pan to run dry. This will take approx 15 minutes until the rice is lovely and tender
5.
Meanwhile, grill the black pudding slices for 3 minutes each side and remove from the heat. Chop roughly into chunks – I like some small and some more hearty.
6.
When the rice is just about al dente, add the black pudding and stir through for 1-2 minutes. This will help break down the pieces too.
7.
Season with Salt & Pepper and remove from the heat.
8.
Serve in large bowls and drizzle a generous helping of organic vinegar over the top