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Leek and bacon risotto with fresh thyme recipe

41 ratings

Bacon and leek are a match made in heaven. Make their flavours go even further in this silky yet sharp risotto, thanks to the addition of white wine. The rice must be allowed to absorb the stock one ladleful at a time, but the results are well worth the effort. See method

Serves 4
10 mins to prepare and 35 mins to cook
635 calories / serving

Ingredients

8 slices thick-cut unsmoked bacon (save leftover rashers in the fridge)
1tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
350g (12oz) arborio rice
150ml (¼pt) white wine
1½ ltr hot chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1tbsp crème fraîche
2tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

If you don't have any leeks, try using spring or white onions instead

Each serving contains

Energy
2665kj
635kcal 32%
Fat
24g 34%
Saturates
9g 45%
Sugars
4g 4%
Salt
4.8g 80%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 73.8g Protein 25.3g Fibre 2.7g

Method

Heat a grill and cook the bacon for a few minutes, until it’s cooked through and beginning to crisp. Remove, chop into pieces and keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan with a lid and cook the sliced leeks over a high heat, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until softened. In the last 2 minutes, add the garlic. Then stir in the rice so it’s well coated in the oil and cook everything for a minute more.
Turn the heat down to medium, pour in the wine and keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Gradually add the piping-hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until completely absorbed before adding more. Repeat until the risotto is thick and oozing, but the rice grains still have some bite (about 25 minutes).
Season with salt and pepper, stir in the cooked bacon, thyme leaves, crème fraîche and Parmesan. Turn off the heat, put on the lid and allow to rest for 5-6 minutes. Grate over Parmesan to serve.

See more Italian recipes.

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.