With purple carrots in the mix, this risotto takes on their colour and creates a beautiful meal, containing tasty jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms and spinach. We think it’s a winner!

Ingredients: 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic, 150g Jerusalem artichoke, handful of spinach, 70g mushrooms, 1 purple carrot, 4g lemon thyme.

From the larder: 20g butter, 170g Arborio rice, 700-800ml stock, salt and pepper, (optional: chicken pieces and 30g grated parmesan).

Instructions:

• Chop the shallots, a garlic clove, finely chop the carrot and strip lemon thyme leaves from their stem. Sauté gently together with a knob of butter in a heavy bottom pan for about 5-7 minutes until shallots are soft.
• Add the Arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, until the rice looks slightly translucent.
• Prepare 700ml stock (use some white wine if you like). Add it to the rice ladle-by-ladle until it is all fully absorbed. Stir and allow stock to absorb between each ladle. Add more water if you run out of stock before the rice is cooked. This process can take up to 20 mins, so be patient, while enjoying it turn purple!
• While the risotto is cooking, halve and thinly slice the mushrooms and jerusalem artichoke. Fry the mushrooms in a small frying pan on their own and then add to the risotto. Then fry the jerusalem artichoke (and chicken pieces if using) gently until the jerusalem artichoke is soft and slightly crispy in places. Once the stock is absorbed and the risotto al denté, add the spinach leaves, stir to wilt, and then add the jerusalem artichoke and chicken. Remove from the heat, season and add a knob of butter and optional grated parmesan.
• Leave risotto to rest for approximately 5 minutes before serving.