When I first started learning how to cook one of the dishes I'd frequently revisit (and exhaust) was the classic Milanese dish of risotto. It soon became my calling card; I knew how to cook a decent risotto. But by the twentieth time of cooking a risotto I suddenly had an epiphany...I'd become a one-dish wonder.  That realisation forced me to change tact and to save the risotto for special occasions. I had to learn how to cook something else. Over the years I revisited the risotto several times but the more I cooked it more adventurous I became. 

This specific recipe isn't the most adventurous of my attempts but it has an immediate visual impact and a wonderful sweet, earthy taste from the beetroot. The fresh goats' cheese turns this from a good risotto into a very good one (if I say so myself). When I brought this out for my Mum to try she was taken aback by the colour but she had something on her mind. She first stared at the risotto and then inspected the dish before exclaiming that there was something quite devilish about the colour and to a superstitious woman like her it was quite alarming. She did try it and I'm glad to say she loved it (and there were no ill effects nor any sign of an antichrist). 

Ingredients

1 cup Egyptian short grain rice (or Carnaroli)

2-2 1/2 cups of chicken stock

1 stalk celery

1 large onion

2 small cloves of garlic

1 dessert spoon olive oil

a splash of a dry white wine (optional)

3 medium sized beetroots - grated

2 tablespoons of parmesan

1 tablespoon of good quality butter

1 block fresh soft goats cheese (I used a variety from the Poitou-Charentes region)

salt and pepper (careful on the salt, there's stock and parmesan in this)

Method

Sweat the diced onion and celery in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic for no longer than half a minute. Add the rice and make sure that every grain is coated in oil and fry for a minute. Add the wine if you're using it or proceed ahead if you're not. Add the beetroot and stir in and then ladle on the first spoonful of stock. Try to stir this as few times as possible. You only want to stir to stop it from sticking. Add a ladleful of stock at a time until the rice has increased in size and is tender to the bite. You want to make sure not to dry out the rice too much so it's best to add a little more stock after your rice is cooked to your liking. Add the grated parmesan and butter and stir. Cover and leave to rest for one minute. Cut the goats' cheese into chunks whilst you wait. Spoon on the risotto and layer with some goats cheese and a splash of olive oil. Then it's time to eat!

Moghrabieh is a much underused Lebanese pantry ingredient that is similar to what is known as pearl couscous. Pearl couscous, or what is marketed under the name of Israeli couscous in the UK/US, has its roots in the Lebanese variety. But the Lebanese variety also has its roots in the original North African couscous hence the name moghrabieh or 'from the Maghreb' (Morrocco, Tunisia, Algeria). Unlike the North African ingredient, moghrabieh pearls are much more substantial which yields a different mouthfeel and texture that is more associated with pasta. In this two-part post I'll show you two recipes (relatively) exciting with moghrabieh. First up is the eponymous Lebanese classic.


















Ingredients
stock
roast chicken carcass
one medium onion
one large carrot
celery stick
a sprig of fresh thyme
enough water to cover the carcass
salt and pepper

















moghrabieh element
two handfuls of moghrabieh
stock (variable - enough to cook the moghrabieh)
chicken (optional - if you have some left from the night before)
four or five shallots peeled
a can of chickpeas
1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
1/4-1/3 teaspoon baharat
additional salt and pepper if needed
grape molasses
butter (optional)

















Method
Stock
Place all the stock ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil and let similar on a very low heat for an hour. Take off the heat and strain leaving just the liquid behind.

Moghrabieh element
Fry the whole shallots for 30 seconds in rapeseed oil in a deep frying pan. Take out and keep on the side. Fry the chickpeas in the same pan and then add the baharat and caraway seeds. Cook for 20 seconds and then add the moghrabieh. Add the stock and cook the moghrabieh until there is no resistance in the pearls when you bite into them (this could take quite a while, maybe up to 30mins). Add the shallots back in for the last five minutes to cook them through. You can add butter at the end if you want to further improve your consistency. Drizzle grape molasses on the side for effect and a sharp tang to counter the creamy, spiced moghrabieh. Voila!