THIS week we hosted our very first cookery demonstration experience at the new Waterman House restaurant, teaching guests how to make fresh pasta and risotto.
I love making pasta, as it is a staple in most people's diet. Fresh pasta is quick and easy to make, and it can have any accompaniment, making it one of the most versatile ingredients – and, once you have made fresh pasta, it is hard to turn back to dried. It's super-tasty.
For this recipe, I have not paired it with a sauce, as I feel that fresh pasta doesn't need too much. I tend to use a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and some Parmesan.
The second dish this week is a mushroom risotto. This restaurant quality dish is bursting with flavour and is easy to replicate at home.
:: For more information about free cookery demonstrations at Waterman Cookery School, visit waterman.house
FRESH PASTA
- 500g '00' Flour
- 3 whole eggs
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp milk
- 1 pinch saffron
- 2g salt
Method
Start by sieving the flour and salt onto a clean work surface. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour and slowly knead in wet ingredients until smooth and pliable. Rest in the fridge for one hour.
Roll out on a pasta machine until you reach the number one setting. You can then use the pasta cutters to make linguine, spaghetti or cut out raviolis.
MUSHROOM RISOTTO
- 50g dried porcini
- 2 shallots
- 250g mushrooms (mixed)
- 350g Arborio rice
- 1.5 litres of vegetable stock
- 1 glass white wine
- 90g parmesan
- 50g butter
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
Firstly, remove any grit from the dried porcini and soak in 500ml hot water for 20 minutes. Once softened, remove from the water and add this water to your stock, keep your stock on a gentle heat on the hob.
For this recipe I am using vegetable stock to ensure the dish is suitable for vegetarians, however, chicken stock can be used.
Finely chop the shallots and heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add the shallot and sweat down until transparent and soft. Add in all of the mushrooms and cook for five minutes.
Add in the rice and cook for a further two minutes, stirring continuously. Add in the glass of wine until it has evaporated, then start by ladling in the stock, two ladles at a time and keep stirring.
Once all stock has been ladled in and the rice is soft with a bit of a bite, stir in the butter and Parmesan and cover for up to five minutes.
Drizzle with truffle oil or extra virgin olive oil to serve.
