Pea & Ham Risotto with Crème Fraiche & Truffles

By Chef Edward Hayden

Ingredients

Risotto:

12oz/350g Arborio rice

2 shallots-peeled and finely diced

3 cloves of garlic-very finely diced

½ teaspoon of fresh thyme

½ glass of dry white wine

1 ¾ pints/1 litre boiling chicken stock

1ozs/25g butter

3 ½ floz/100ml Irish Yogurts Clonakilty Half Fat Crème Fraiche

3oz/75g freshly grated parmesan

Cracked Black Pepper & Salt

Flavouring:

200g ham-cooked and cubed

150g frozen peas

Truffle shavings (optional)

Choose a wide saucepan with a thick base. On a low heat slowly melt the butter and add the chopped shallots, thyme and garlic and cook very gently until completely softened.
Add in the Arborio rice and mix in well to ensure that it does not stick to the base of the pan at this crucial time. Allow the rice to become glazed and cook without any liquid for 3-4 minutes whilst continuing to stir at all times.
Next add in the white wine and again, do continue to stir the rice because the wine will evaporate off quite quickly.
Boil up the chicken stock and add some of this into the rice (the low heat being maintained at all times). Add the stock little by little and never adding the next ladle until the previous one has evaporated. It is vitally important not to rush this process but continue to add all of the liquid until the rice is plump and tender.
Season this mixture now and then to obtain a nice creamy risotto, add the crème fraiche and parmesan cheese now.
Once the rice is almost fully cooked you can add the cooked ham and frozen peas and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, again constantly stirring. Check one last time for seasoning and serve sprinkled with some additional parmesan cheese. Garnish with some truffle shavings