A delicious winter warmer, this simple Ham, Pea and Sprout Risotto is a great way to use up any leftover ham or sprouts after Christmas and a brilliant easy peasy midweek meal to see you through the rest of winter too.
I love sprouts and last year I embarked of a rather epic post showcasing 7 ways to make sprouts interesting. I did toy with the idea of doing a part two, but in the end I thought another 7 sprout dishes might be going a bit far, so I decided to include sprouts in several of my regular recipes instead.
So far this year I have shared my recipes for my Easy Christmas Vegetable Traybake, where I roast the sprouts in with the parsnips and carrots, to simplify the veggies on Christmas Day and also make the sprouts taste extra wonderful. I have also shared my new found love of raw sprouts with Sproutslaw – a version of coleslaw I invented to go with my Christmas Turkey Burgers – and my Sprout Salad with Cranberries, Pecan Nuts and Clementines, which would make a great starter or side dish on Christmas Day.
But I fancied doing something interesting with sprouts which would work well as an everyday meal and not just for Christmas…after all sprouts are still delicious when it’s not Christmas, right?
Last year I made a delicious sprout dish featuring sprouts, bacon and leeks and I wondered if this might convert nicely into a risotto…only when I came to make the risotto I discovered I didn’t have any leeks, so I threw in a handful of frozen peas instead – and I’m so glad I did because it just ‘worked’. This dish had my husband making a lot of yummy noises – it’s just got that perfect balance of sweet, salty and cheesy going on!
I originally made this with bacon, but I realised as I was making it what a great leftovers dish this would be… great for using up any leftover roast ham, sprouts and peas on boxing day – and you could happily throw a bit of turkey in here too if you wanted to!
Alternatively, if you don’t have any leftovers, this can be made with diced bacon, fresh sprouts and frozen peas straight from the freezer and it will taste fabulous either way!
You will notice from the recipe, I don’t add the hot stock bit by bit. This is because after experimenting both ways, I just don’t see a difference doing it the faffy way, and well, you know me – if I can make life easier for myself, without compromising on the deliciousness of the dish, I will! If you want to read more of my musing on this subject, check out my Simple Mushroom Risotto recipe.
As far as a wine match goes, this would be great with a crisp Italian white, like Gavi, Soave or a Pinot Grigio.
Ham, Pea and Sprout Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 onion (red or white)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 100 g diced bacon, lardons or leftover ham
- 300 g risotto rice
- 1 litre chicken/ham/turkey stock
- Black pepper
- 20 g butter
- 100 g brussels sprouts sliced thinly (or leftover cooked sprouts)
- 50 g peas
- 25 g cheddar cheese
- 100 g leftover turkey (very optional, just if you happen to have any!)
Instructions
- Place the onions and oil in a wide deep pan and fry over a gentle heat with the lid on for 3 minutes until softened, but not brown.
- Add the bacon or ham and turn the heat up, fry for 2-3 minutes until the bacon/ham is slightly brown.
- Turn the heat back down and add the risotto rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil and then add all the stock and stir. Bring to the boil, then turn the head down and cook for 20 minutes, until all the stock had been absorbed and the rice is cooked with just a bit of bite. Stir occasionally to stop the risotto sticking and to help it gain that classic creamy texture.
- Whilst the risotto is cooking, melt the butter in a small frying pan and add the sprouts (cooked or uncooked) pan fry for 5-10 minutes until the sprouts are softened (if using fresh ones) and brown (in both cases).
- When the risotto is cooked add in the sprouts, peas and cheese and cook for a further minute or two until the peas are warm and the cheese has melted.
- If you have any leftover turkey, add that in now too and cook until the turkey is piping hot all the way through.
Notes
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Get More Easy Peasy Leftovers Recipes here…
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