Red Wine and Mushroom Oven Risotto

Ingredients:

50g dried porcini, soaked for 20 mins in 200ml hot water

80ml olive oil

180g cherry tomatoes

1 large red onion, finely diced

1 stick of celery, finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

300g arborio rice

1 tbsp tomato puree

150ml red wine

500ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp grated pecorino or nutritional yeast (for DF)

a small handful  of flat leafed parsley finely chopped

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200C

2. Place an ovenproof saucepan that has a lid over a high heat and add the oil.  When hot, add the whole cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.  Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Add the onion, celery, garlic and chestnut mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 5 mins, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softening and starting to caramelise.

4. Add the thyme and rice, toasting the rice int he hot oil for a minute, stirring constantly to coat it in the oil.  Stir through the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, letting it bubble and mix with the rice.  Cook until the wine has been fully absorbed.  Add the porcini with their soaking liquid, and the stock.  Season with salt and pepper, stir for one minute, then cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven for 10 mins.

5. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the lid (watch out for the steam).  Given the rice a stir and arrange the cherry tomatoes on top.  Replace the lid and put back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

6. Before serving, stir through the cheese/nutritional yeast and garnish with parsley.