I love risotto, but I always found the traditional method a pain. My wrist would ache with all that stirring. Then I discovered the cheat's way - using a rice cooker.

 

1 leek, peeled and chopped

300g arborio rice

1-2 cups orange sweet potato (Kent pumpkin works well too)

1 cup peas

1/2 cup white wine

3.5 cups vegetable and/or chicken stock (go for low-salt variety if you can)

1 oz butter

2 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

pepper

olive oil

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180C (350F). Chop the sweet potato into small cubes and toss in olive oil, half the garlic, black pepper and thyme. Put in an oven-proof dish and bake for 15 minutes or until soft when pricked with a fork.

 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in the rice cooker and then add the leek. Give it a stir and let it cook until the leek softens. (Keep an eye on the rice cooker in case it shuts off automatically at this point). Add the rest of the garlic and stir thoroughly together.

 

Add the rice and stir until it is all glistening. Then add the wine and stir until the rice soaks up the wine.

 

Add in the peas and the stock, stir it all together, cover and let the rice cooker do its magic.

 

When the sweet potato is ready, add it into the risotto mixture and give it a stir.

 

When the rice cooker turns itself off, add some freshly grated parmesan and mix it in. Serve.

 

(Note that you will probably find the butter has burned on the bottom of the cooker. No big deal, and the taste is worth the effort of cleaning it).