MONKFISH WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES AND SPINACH RISOTTO

Ingredients serve 4 people at a cost of £1.50 per portion. This risotto can be cooked with roasted vegetables and spinach or to elevate the dish, with a piece of monkfish wrapped in pancetta and roasted. Roughly chop all the vegetables, crush the garlic, sprinkle with mixed herbs and place into a roasting tray. Throw in the cherry tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix to coat all the vegetables with the olive oil. Roast in an oven until soft at 190 C for approximately 30 – 45 minutes.

Place stock into a pan and bring to a simmer. In a separate pan toast the rice in the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, mixed herbs and sweat until soft. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add a ladle full of hot stock, stir and allow the rice to absorb the stock before adding another ladle full. Continue the process until the rice is almost cooked and the consistency is loose.

Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and squash the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to extract the sweet juices and add as much of the vegetables to the risotto as to your preference. There will be extra roasted vegetables for the following days lunch! Stir in the spinach until wilted.

Finish by stirring in a knob of butter, correcting the consistency with more stock if required. The rice should be just cooked at this point, if not cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the parmesan, season and serve either on its own, or to elevate the dish with a piece of monkfish wrapped in pancetta and roasted.