A watched pot..

..never boils, goes the saying. Well, if that were true, we'd all be in trouble. As you will no doubt have realized by now, I'm all for ease in the kitchen, for the one-pot solution, and for something that does NOT need to be watched, so that I can be off doing something else while dinner makes the house smell awesome. One exception that I do make to this general policy is risotto. There are some risottos that can be made in the oven, which is great for when pot-watching isn't an option (for a great example, click here). But sometimes on the weekend, when time is a little more plentiful, there is something quite therapeutic about standing over a pot of bubbling creamy rice, stirring away. Last weekend was just such an occasion, when pot-watching was an option, and this recipe was just speaking to me.

The classic risotto relies upon parmesan cheese, but this one uses mozzarella, which results in that gorgeous gooey texture where strings of cheese dangle from your spoon. Oh yum! The kids found this particularly hilarious because it kept getting stuck in Daddy's beard. So, if you are both unshaven, and having company over, then you may want to pick an alternative dish. Otherwise though, this is a risotto well worth trying! And it is vegetarian, for those of you of that persuasion.

The recipe is adapted from a 2007 issue of Cooking Light. The original used balsamic vinegar, which was then reduced in a pan over a medium heat to make it sweeter and more concentrated. I had a really good quality balsamic vinegar though, which is already quite sweet and almost syrupy, so I used that, without reducing it further. Alternatively, you could try using a balsamic glaze. Then all you need to accompany it is a simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to 'cut' the gooey-ness of the risotto. Enjoy!

Risotto with Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes and Basil
Serves 6

5 TBSP good quality balsamic vinegar (see above)
7 cups vegetable or chicken broth/stock
3 TBSP olive oil
3 cups chopped leek
2 1/4 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup half-and-half (or half cream, half milk)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes (or small cherry tomatoes), halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
7 oz fresh mozzarella, finely diced

1. Bring broth/stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep warm over a very low heat.
2. Heat 1/2 TBSP olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and sauté for 3 minutes until tender. Add rice and stir to coat the grains.
3. Stir in wine and cook for a further 1 minute, or until liquid is nearly completely absorbed.
4. Stir in 1 cup of broth, reduce heat to medium or medium-low and cook stirring constantly until liquid is nearly completely absorbed.
5. Continue to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring the risotto as it soaks up the broth, so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. This process should take around 30 minutes, by which time, if you taste the risotto, the rice will be tender, with perhaps a slight bite. When it gets to this point, stir in the half-and-half and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes to heat through.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes and the cheese.
7. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.