Tarragon & Leek Risotto

I'm always surprised by leeks. They don't look like much, but they really deliver. Chop a large leek into rings and fry over a low flame in some butter and oil. You don't want it to colour, just to soften. The leek will produce a wonderful, aromatic fug, sweet and herbal. Stir in the Arborio rice (rinse the rice first, until the water runs clear) until all is sleek and shiny with butter and add a glass of good white wine, stirring, stirring…

Pull the leaves off the stems of a fat bunch of fresh tarragon and add the first fragrant, aniseedy handful now, along with about a teaspoon of dried tarragon. Once the wine has been absorbed, start adding ladlefuls of chicken stock. When absorbed, add more, keep stirring. Make sure to enjoy this mindless, repetitive activity. It’s part of what makes risotto so comforting!
Add some more tarragon after every couple of ladlefuls of stock. It should take about twenty minutes for the rice to cook. Add a handful of freezer greens after about fifteen minutes. I always use peas and sometimes green beans too, but whatever you’ve got is fine, you’re mostly looking for some different textures. Season with some white pepper (it should have enough salt already because of the stock) and add a final scattering of fresh tarragon. If you want to add cheese, I’d go with a grating of pecorino, or make some pecorino crisps.