Tarragon

I was organizing recipes this weekend and I noticed that I have a whole section for risottos with 5 different recipes.  This post makes 6.   Yum.  Each is really different and really delicious in a different way.  This risotto was definitely sweeter than most. 

Tarragon has never played the staring role in a dish in recent memory so I was pleasantly surprised by the the almost sweet after taste it brought to the dish.  It complimented the sweetness of the peas and the lemon and really made the dish the centerpiece of a light summer meal.

Lemon Risotto with Peas, Tarragon and Leeks

adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Warm the chicken stock in a small saucepan over medium heat.  When it begins to steam, turn the heat down to low.

Add oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Add leeks, shallots and salt and sauté for about 7 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Turn up the heat and add the rice.  Fry the rice for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the wine and turn the heat down to low.  Once the wine has absorbed, add a ladleful of chicken stock and stir.

Keep adding ladlefuls of chicken stock, waiting for each to be fully absorbed before adding the next one.  If using homemade chicken stock, add a pinch of salt with each ladleful.

Add the frozen peas at the same time as the last of the chicken stock.

Once all of the stock has been absorbed, remove the pot from heat and stir in the cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tarragon.

Nutritionals (Serves 8): Cals: 377, Fat: 10, Carb: 55, Fiber: 2, Protein: 14