Smoked salmon, courgette and basil risotto

Easy and delicious; with intensely rich but fresh flavours.  Lovely with a lightly wooded white.

Ingredients:

1. 1 onion, finely chopped
2. same amount of finely chopped celery
3. 2 tsp chopped garlic
4. olive oil
5. 500ml vegetable (or chicken) stock
6. 300ml good white wine (the rest to hydrate the chef)
7. 1 cup risotto rice
8. 100g smoked salmon ribbons
9. 2 medium sized courgettes, oven roasted until cooked but not soft
10. a handful of basil, finely chopped
11. a cup of grated Parmesan
12. a squeeze of lemon
13. a knob of butter

Method:

• heat olive oil in a pan and add onion, celery and garlic, cooking slowly
• when soft add rice and stir for around 3 mins until the rice starts to go a bit translucent
• add the wine and stir
• when the wine is no longer, add stock 1 ladel at a time, stirring well
• continue for around 30 mins, until the rice is al dente
• add 3/4 of the chopped courgette, 75g of chopped salmon, the butter, 3/4 of the Parmesan, the basil and a squeeze of lemon
• stir well, pop the lid on and leave for 5 mins, off the heat
• serve in bowls with a few pieces of courgette, a strip of salmon and a sprinkle of Parmesan over the top of each