Lemon Risotto with Tuna
This recipe uses brown rice not aborio, but I think of it as a risotto as the finished dish is quite moist and also includes plenty of parmesan cheese. All the stock is added in one go so there's no tiresome stirring to do. The combination of the parmesan and the freshly grated lemon rind gives this comforting dish a fragrant lift.
Preparation time: 15 mins + Cooking time: 50 minutes (depending on the type of rice used)
Serves 2 -3 people
You need
1 mug (approx. 225g or 8 oz) brown rice
1 brown onion, diced
1 stick of celery, finely diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 cups chicken stock (ready-made is fine)
185g (7 oz) can of tuna in oil, drained
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 cup freshly grated regiano parmesan cheese
freshly grated rind of 1 medium to large lemon (not optional)
Oil for frying
To cook
In a heavy based frying pan (with a tight fitting lid!) heat 2 tablespoons of oil and gently fry the onion and celery for a few minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds more. Add the brown rice and stir so the grains of rice become coated in the oil. Add the stock and a mug of water and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and reduce heat to it’s lowest setting.
The rice will now cook by absorbing the stock - the length of time this takes will depend on the rice you are using. Check your packet instructions for cooking times which will vary from 15 minutes to 45 minutes (for a wholegrain brown rice). For this dish I favour a longer cooking rice.
2 or 3 minutes from the estimated end of the rice cooking time, lift the lid on the pan and test the rice by tasting it. If the rice is cooked or very close to it, it's time to add the remaining ingredients. If the rice is not sufficiently cooked, replace the lid and continue cooking until cooked to your liking (adding some extra water if there is no liquid lift in the pan). To the cooked rice add 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan, the flaked tin of tuna, the grated lemon rind and stir well. Place the spinach on top of the mixture and replace lid to cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the spinach is just wilted. Remove from heat, stir and serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese.
Add ons
- If using a longer cooking brown rice you can substitute 2 or 3 tablespoons of wild rice for some of the brown rice
- Another great substitute is about a 1/3 of a cup of one of the many “rice and grain blends” for 1/3 of a cup of the brown rice. You can experiment with the ratio of rice to rice/grain blend until you find your perfect combination but in total you will need 1 mug of rice and grains
