Beetroot and horseradish risotto with trout

Beetroot and horseradish risotto with trout by Ben Ebbrell (Sorted Ventures Ltd)

1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
Knob of butter
200g risotto rice
200ml white wine
1 litre veg stock
250g pack of pre-cooked beetroot, not in vinegar
Shot of olive oil
2 rainbow trout fillets, pin boned, skin on
Juice of half a lemon
Heaped tablespoon of horseradish sauce
Chunk of parmesan, grated
Splash of cream
1 punnet of cress, picked and washed

This dish uses the classic risotto method but after including the beetroot, horseradish and parmesan you'll have something so pink and glossy that even Barbie would be wowed.

Peel and dice the onion and garlic as finely as possible. Sweat them off gently in a saucepan with the butter for 5 minutes. Dump in the risotto rice and stir to coat every grain in the buttery onions.

Pour in the wine and allow to bubble gently until absorbed. Ladle in the stock bit by bit, stirring continuously over the heat. Don't add more until the last lot has been absorbed. Continue for 10–12 minutes until the rice is plump and cooked.

Dice the drained beetroot into 1cm cubes, then add to the cooked risotto to warm through.

Heat a dash of oil and tiny knob of butter in a frying pan, then add the trout fillets, skin side down, and season with salt and pepper. When almost cooked through, squeeze over the lemon juice and turn the fillets over, removing the pan from the heat. They will continue to cook for a few minutes.

Stir the horseradish into the risotto with the Parmesan, cream and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

When you're happy the rice is tender and you have a "relaxed" (nothing too stiff and stodgy) portion on a plate, lay a trout fillet on top and sprinkle over the cress.

Taken from 'Beginners Get Sorted' by the Sorted crew (Michael Joseph, £16.99).