I recently found borage leaves in a small greengrocer shop in the centre of Pescara. It was the first day I left the house with my mother after so many days of strict lockdown. It felt good to be outside, on a beautiful spring day with shops finally open again. I spotted those leaves and some wild chicory from outside and hurried into the main street corner’s shop to purchase them.

The lady of the shop exclaimed, “I have never met a young girl like you who could recognise these greens.” “These are the flavours of my childhood”, I replied. We chatted for a few more minutes, discovering our mutual love for cooking and the countryside.

Moments like these, I will never take for granted again…

Serves 4

Ingredients:

(For the stock)

1 large brown onion, cut in half
½ fennel, cut vertically
2 carrots, cut in half
borage stems, removed from the leaves
1 parmesan rind
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
A fresh sprig of thyme and rosemary

(For the risotto)

300 g Carnaroli rice
200 g fresh borage leaves, stems removed
1 large brown onion, diced
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
an espresso cup of dry white wine
40 g butter
30 g grated parmesan
salt
ground white pepper
ground nutmeg

To serve:

fresh stracciatella strings
piment d’Espelette or any dried, flavourful chilli powder
extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Start by preparing the stock. Place the vegetables, aromatics and cheese rind in a large pot and add two litres of cold water. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, then add salt and continue to cook for another hour. When ready, set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the borage leaves and cook them for 10 minutes maximum.

In the meantime, begin preparing the risotto. In a sautèe pan, warm the extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, and allow the onion to sweat for a few minutes. Add rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for a few minutes, making sure that every grain is coated in oil and well “toasted.” Add white wine, stir well and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely, before adding a few ladles of warm stock. Season with nutmeg, pepper and an extra pinch of salt.

By now the borage leaves should be fully cooked. Drain and refresh them in iced water to cool completely and preserve their beautiful bright green colour. Drain again, purèe in a blender for a few seconds and add to the risotto.

Keep a close eye on the risotto during this process, as it may require extra stock.

Proceed with the cooking until the risotto is creamy, but still al dente. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and parmesan, cover and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve the risotto on a plate with the stracciatella strings on top, drizzled with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with the Piment d’Espelette.

Enjoy! x

Borage risotto with stracciatella and piment d'Espelette