Cook The Perfect... Risotto with Giorgio Alessio

Risotto is the perfect delicate dish for the long, light evenings but is yours sometimes more like stodgy semolina? Italian chef Giorgio Alessio teaches Jenni how to master strawberry risotto and sea trout risotto.

Listen to the interview and read the recipes below.

Tips and techniques

1. 1. Never cook the rice and sauce separately
2. 2. Always use unsalted butter
3. 3. Caramelise the onions/shallots
4. 4. Allow wine to evaporate in the caramelised onions before adding stock

Recipe - Risotto con le Fragole (Strawberry Risotto)

Serves 4

1. 1/2 onion
2. 80g unsalted butter
3. 320g rice (Carnaroli / Vialone Nano / Arborio)
4. 1 glass dry white wine (Prosecco)
5. 1 litre vegetable stock
6. 50g strawberries finely chopped (or 1 medium sized strawberry per person)

1. Finely chop the onion and fry with 60g butter in a risotto pan (it could be easier in a non-stick pan).

2. When onion has softened and caramelised add the rice and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the wine and cook until all the wine has evaporated. Now the risotto is cooking on a low heat, begin to add the stock, a ladle at a time on a low heat. For this risotto vegetable or beef stock can be used or even a stock cube.

4. After approximately 10 minutes begin to add the strawberries which have been finely chopped. Cook for a further 10 minutes and turn off the heat and add the remaining butter. Stir together and serve.

Recipe - Risotto con Trota di Mare (Sea Trout Risotto)

Serves 4

1. 1 piece of fresh sea trout, approximately 200g
2. 80g unsalted butter
3. 300g rice (Carnaroli / Vialone Nano / Arborio)
4. 1 glass dry white wine (Prosecco)
5. 1 dessert spoon tomato purée
6. 1 large pinch chopped flat leaf parsley
7. Pinch white pepper
8. For the stock:
9. 1 onion (whole)
10. 1 carrot (whole)
11. 1 stick celery (whole)
12. 1 bay leaf
13. 1 litre of water

1. Place the water in a large pan and add the above stock ingredients and the whole sea trout. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Take off the heat and allow to cool. Remove the fish, taking off the skin and any remaining bones, and break into pieces.

3. In a pan add the chopped shallot with 60g butter until shallots have softened and caramelised. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the white wine (it would make sense to use the same wine that you will be serving with the risotto). Cook until wine has evaporated.

5. Add the fish stock you prepared earlier and the tomato purée. Stir together and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Then add the sea trout and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.

6. Take off the heat. Add remaining butter together with the parsley and white pepper. Stir together and then serve.

Listen to the interview with Giorgio Alessio

Italian chef Giorgio Alessio talks Jenni Murray through the perfect risotto.

• Listen to the interview

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