Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Chef's Diary

With spring in the air it gives us lots of exciting ingredients to work with from all over the British Isles. The produce we use is always as fresh as can be, it comes straight from the source to our kitchen in the heart of London. We are so lucky to have such fantastic suppliers, from fisherman, farmers and butchers to foragers and producers of even the most humble ingredient.

Right now, one of my favourite things in season is wild garlic leaves. The leaves grow abundantly in woodlands preferring moist soil and filling the air with their light, fresh garlic scent. They also produce a beautiful flower which can be quite strong. I like to dip the flowers in a light tempura batter and fry them. Shaking them in oil opens up the tiny petals and helps them turn crispy.

Here is a simple recipe using wild garlic, I have given some other ingredients as a suggestion but you don’t have to add them. This risotto is just as fantastic on its own!

Serves 4
Time: 28 minutes

200g Carnaroli Rice
1 small white onion, finely chopped
150ml dry white wine
1 ltr chicken or vegetable stock
50g Parmesan reggiano, aged
75g butter, unsalted
½ tsp mascarpone
20g wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped
Salt, to season

Serving suggestions:
A few nuggets of roasted veal sweetbreads
Morels
Asparagus

If you are lucky enough to get flowers on your wild garlic, they are delicious battered on top of the risotto.

First, bring the stock to the boil and keep hot. Sweat the onion with 50g butter until soft but without browning. Add the rice and sweat with the onion for a further 2-3 minutes until the rice is translucent. Add the white wine and reduce until almost dry. Add some of the stock until it covers the rice and cook down again. Keep repeating this process until the rice is cooked and it should take 18-19 minutes. Add the wild garlic leaves after 10 minutes. It is essential to keep stirring the rice (a wooden spoon is preferable) throughout the cooking process so that the starches are released and the risotto has a lovely creamy consistency. You may not need to use all of the stock. When the rice is cooked, stir in the rest of the butter, parmesan and mascarpone and season to taste.

The Chef's Diaries are updated on a regular basis by Restaurant Gordon Ramsay Head Chef Clare Smyth.

To view the August 2010 Chef's diary entry please click here.

To view the June 2010 Chef's diary entry please click here.

To view the March 2010 Chef's diary entry please click here.

For more information on Master classses with Clare please click here.

To view the November 2009 Chef's diary entry please click here.

To view the October 2009 Chef's diary entry please click here.

To view the August 2009 Chef's diary entry please click here.

To view the July 2009 Chef's diary entry please click here.