Borsch risotto with onion chutney

Stating the obvious, I will say that there is nothing more rewarding than making a delicious meal which ticks all the right boxes. I love cooking for myself and enjoying a meal on my own. But I have to say, it is even more rewarding when your humble effort gets noticed by some of the hottest food bloggers and gets featured on their website. This is what happened with my beloved borsch risotto and onion chutney creation which got featured on The Feed Feed page dedicated to jams, chutneys and jellies. The rest of the recipes on the page are absolutely brilliant. If you decide to recreate this meal, here’s what you do….

For the onion jam:

4 medium white onions or two large
A handful of sultanas
A teaspoon of brown sugar (or to taste)
All spice
A generous dash of balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt
Black pepper
Dash of olive oil
Water
*Makes a small jar

Finely chop the onions and sweat them in olive oil with some salt until soften and golden brown.
Add a little bit of water, sultanas, all spice and sugar, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding water so the mix doesn’t stick. When sultanas and onions are completely soft, transfer the mix into a food processor, add some vinegar and pulse for a few seconds. The mix should not be fully blended into a smooth paste. Transfer into a sterilised jar.

For risotto:
*2 portions
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
4 medium beets
200gr arborio rice 1lts veggie stock+cooking juice from the beets
150gr red wine
Sea salt
Black pepper
Olive oil

Roast the beets on full blast heat 200C until cooked. Retain any juices and leave to cool so they are easy to handle. Once cool, grate the beets, and leave a few slices for decoration. Add the beet juice to the veggie stock.
Finely chop the onion + garlic and sweat for about 5 mins in olive oil with some salt.
Add the rice and start stirring. Once the rice has absorbed the cooking juices and changed colour pour in the wine and simmer till the alcohol is evaporated. Continue adding stock until risotto is almost ready. Add the grated beets and stir well so the beets are evenly mixed into the rice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Leave for another minute or two and then take off the heat.
To serve decorate with some beets slices and a very generous dollop of onion jam, a sprinkle of dill and a dash of excellent olive oil. Some goats cheese would also make a great addition to this borsch risotto!