Home Chef - Series 4 – Episode 13
CELERIAC AND BABY CARROT RISOTTO WITH SHERRY VINEGAR
CARAMEL AND CRISPY POTATO ROSTI
Risotto is always a popular dish in the restaurant and we usually have a version on the menu.
The sherry vinegar caramel works well with the vegetables and crispy potato rosti. It’s a
combination I first tried on a trip to Rome with my chefs. They save up all the tips and use
them to eat in some of the best restaurants in the world.
Serves 4
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8 baby carrots, peeled and cut into
1cm (1/2in) slices
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 fresh thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground black
pepper
300g (11oz) celeriac, peeled and
finely diced
850ml (1 pint 9fl oz) vegetable
stock
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g (7oz) risotto rice, such as
Arborio or Carnaroli
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100ml (3 1/2fl oz) dry white wine
25g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley
sherry vinegar caramel , to serve
Parmesan foam , to garnish
4 crispy potato rosti
fresh micro salad leaves, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
Place the carrot on a small baking sheet that will take the vegetables in one even layer and
drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Scatter over the thyme sprigs and season to taste, then
roast for 5 minutes. Add the celeriac to the carrots and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until
all the vegetables are cooked through and lightly coloured, tossing them occasionally to
ensure they cook evenly.
Meanwhile, pour the vegetable stock into a pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Keep warm.
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Heat a non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the
oil. Tip in the shallot and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until well softened and lightly
coloured. Stir in the risotto rice and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the white wine and
allow to bubble down and reduce, stirring constantly.
Add a ladleful of the warm vegetable stock and cook gently until all the liquid has almost
been absorbed, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. Continue adding stock in this way
until the rice is al dente – this should take about 20 minutes depending on they type of rice
you use. The risotto should be quite thick rather than soupy and each grain of rice should be
holding its shape.
Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone and herbs. Season to
taste, then fold in the roasted carrot and celeriac, discarding the thyme sprigs.
To serve, place a 7.5cm (3in) cooking ring on warmed plates and fill with the risotto, pressing
it down gently with a spoon. Carefully remove the ring and drizzle around the sherry vinegar
caramel. Spoon over the Parmesan foam and arrange a potato rosti on top of each risotto.
Garnish with the micro salad.
COOK AHEAD
Prepare and weigh out all the ingredients up to 1 hour before cooking, but it’s best to leave
the celeriac until the last minute, as it tends to oxidise.
SHERRY VINEGAR CARAMEL
Makes about 100ml (3 1/2fl oz)
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100g (4oz) caster sugar
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
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2 fresh thyme sprigs
Place the sugar and 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) water in a heavy-based pan. Bring to the boil and cook
for about 15 minutes without stirring, until golden brown.
Quickly stir the sherry vinegar into the golden caramel, then add another 100ml (3 1/2fl oz)
cold water and the thyme, stirring well to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2
minutes, until you have achieved a honey-like consistency. Set aside to cool. Transfer to a
squeezy bottle and store in the fridge. Use as required.
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COOK AHEAD
This will keep happily for up to 2 months in the fridge.
CRISPY POTATO ROSTI
Serves 4
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1 large baking potato
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
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sea salt
Peel the potato, then grate the flesh using the coarse side of a grater, a mandolin or a Benriner
mandolin slicer, which I find is the best of all Squeeze out all the excess water and place the
grated potato in a bowl, then season with salt.
Heat 4 x 10cm (4in) blini pans (or use a straight-sided cutter placed on a frying pan). Add a
good film of oil to the pan. Divide the potato mixture into 4 portions and using 2 forks,
spread each portion evenly into the pans, separating out the strands of potatoes. Cook over a
low heat for 5–6 minutes, until golden brown, turning regularly and using the forks to
separate out the strands as necessary.
Drain the crispy potato rostis on kitchen paper and use as required.
COOK AHEAD
The rosti can be made up to 6 hours in advance and left at room temperature until ready to
use. To reheat, place the rosti on a cooling rack and place the cooling rack on a baking sheet
in a preheated oven (140°C/275°F/gas mark 1) for 10–12 minutes. Alternatively, you can
reheat the rosti under a medium grill for a couple of minutes on each side.
For other recipes from the Home Chef Series please go to
Home Chef Series 4 Website
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