© Ola O. Smit

Millet Spring Risotto with Beetroot

Baltic cuisine is full of culinary surprises - recipe tip from the cookery book "Baltic States" by Zuza Zak.

Ingredients
3 young beetroot, with stalks and leaves
salt
3 tablespoon(s) cold pressed rapeseed oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
250 g millet
25 ml whitewine
1 l hot vegetable stock
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a knife blade and ½ tsp salt
200 g spinach leaves, shredded (optional)
2 tablespoon(s) chopped dill, plus a little more for garnish
black pepper from the mill
1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
100 g lancashire cheese, alternatively feta or goat's cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon(s) butter
2 tablespoon(s) fermented beetroot elixir (optional)
5 tablespoon(s) sour cream
fermented garlic sprouts (optional)

Preparation:

  • Wash the beetroot thoroughly. Cut off the stalks and leaves, roughly chop the stalks and shred the larger leaves.
  • Cook the unpeeled tubers in a pan of boiling salted water for about 30 minutes. Drain and leave to cool, then peel and dice. Put to the side.
  • Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion in it for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent, then add the beetroot stalks and fry for another minute or so, stirring regularly.
  • Stir in the millet and pour in the wine. Boil briefly until the alcohol evaporates, then add 1 ladle of stock and reduce. Continue in this way until about half the stock has been used up, then stir in the garlic.
  • Gradually add the rest of the stock until the millet is cooked (about 15 minutes) - no need to stir regularly.
  • Add the beetroot leaves (or spinach), diced beetroot and dill. Stir and heat until the leaves fall apart.
  • Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and check whether the millet is cooked - if not and the stock has been used up, add a little more boiling water and continue cooking.
  • Finally, stir in the cheese, butter, fermented beetroot elixir (if using) and all - except for a small amount - of the sour cream.
  • Garnish with dill and a few fermented garlic sprouts (if using), top with a dollop of sour cream and serve hot.

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