Red wine, bacon and tarragon risotto

5.00

Our red wine, bacon and tarragon risotto recipe was inspired by the flavours of a coq au vin; a French red wine stew of chicken, bacon and mushrooms. This comforting dish makes a great midweek meal on a cold winter's night.

First published in 2020

This highly inauthentic but highly tasty risotto recipe is inspired by the French stew Coq au vin. We use the traditional ingredients of the stew (bacon lardons, onion, celery, leek and button mushrooms) for the base of the risotto and cook it using red wine instead of the usual white. A fresh, grassy, aniseed hit of tarragon finishes off the risotto perfectly, making this a recipe we're sure you'll keep returning to.

If by any chance you have leftovers, it makes the most delicious stuffing for a roast chicken!

Ingredients

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Imperial

Method

1
Place a large pan over a medium heat and fry off the bacon lardons in a teaspoon of vegetable oil. The lardons may release some water; wait until this cooks off and the lardons begin to colour and crisp
2
Add the onion, celery, leek and garlic with a pinch of salt and sweat down for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not starting to colour
3
Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until the rice starts to toast a little
4
Add the red wine with the mushrooms and 2 sprigs of tarragon and leave to simmer and reduce whilst stirring regularly
5
Once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add the warm chicken stock, a ladle at a time, letting the rice absorb each spoonful of stock before adding the next. Stir regularly to release the starch from the rice, as this is what gives you a creamy risotto
6
You may not need all the stock, or you may need a little more – keep tasting the rice so you know when it is cooked. Once you are happy with the texture, take off the heat and beat in the butter and Parmesan, then leave to sit with a lid on for 5 minutes
7
Pick out the stalks from the tarragon before serving, then garnish with fresh tarragon leaves and serve

GBC Kitchen is where you'll find accessible, inspiring recipes with a twist, from our in-house team of recipe developers. Perfect for mid-week meals or special occasions alike, GBC Kitchen recipes will help you become a more confident cook, and impress those around you in the meantime! Don't forget to check out our brand new How to Cook guide every month, which focuses on a specific ingredient and ways to use it, alongside four brand new recipes.

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