Baked Bacon & Mushroom Risotto

For years I’ve had it in mind to try out one of Delia’s baked risotto recipes and had a look at one of them recently but just didn’t fancy it at that moment in time in the end (it was a risotto carbonara if you are interested). 

I decided to go with the concept however and just devise something: fairly comforting yet at the same time not too calorific. As I’ve mentioned before, I had, at the time of cooking this, been doing the 5:2 diet thing for a few months (cooking and eating out so much can take its toll) but recently what with one thing and another I haven’t been very good. The week I made this I was back on it and on my “non-fast” days I wanted to be reasonably careful (I should point out I’ve not been very good since…!)

And for that, this recipe is great - surprising low calorie for days when you’re being “good” but still want yumminess. Not to mention good for days when you have better things to do than stand by the stove stirring..to be honest, that kind of is my “better thing to do” but I appreciate that for others it isn’t!


Baked Bacon & Mushroom Risotto
serves 2

2 medium rashers of unsmoked back bacon, chopped
100g mushrooms, sliced
5g dried porcini (soaked in 150ml boiling water for 15-20 minutes)
10 puffs low-fat cooking spray
1 medium banana shallot, finely chopped
175g risotto rice
150ml dry white wine
300ml vegetable stock
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
25g parmesan, freshly grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Fry the bacon in a small pan, in it’s own fat until it is crispy. Remove and set aside on a piece of kitchen towel.

Meanwhile heat a heavy casserole (that has a lid) on the hob and spray with the low-fat cooking spray. Add the chopped onions and cook quite gently for about 10 minutes until softened.

Add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and fry for 5 minutes more.

Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquor, chop them up finely and add to the pan with the fried fresh mushrooms.

Cook for a couple of minutes more then add the rice.

Stir well for a few minutes then turn up the heat and add wine. 

Let it simmer hard until reduced by about half before adding the porcini soaking liquid and stock.

Lower the heat and stir in the bacon. Give it a good stir, pop a lid on and then transfer the casserole to the preheated oven.

Cook for 20 minutes then gently stir in most of the parmesan.

Return to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the risotto is soft and creamy.

Stir through the chopped parsley then place a clean tea towel over the pot and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with the remaining parmesan sprinkled over and crispy salad leaves and quartered baby plum tomatoes on the side.