Ingredients
25ml (3/4fl oz) Early Harvest Olive Oil
25g (1oz) unsalted butter
2 small banana shallots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1½ tbsp tomato paste
150ml (5fl oz) dry white wine
320ml (81/2fl oz) vegetable stock
½ tsp smoked paprika
50g (13/4oz) sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
50g (13/4oz) black olives, pitted and chopped
1 level tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp Sourdough Breadcrumbs
50g (13/4oz) Confit Garlic Cloves
60g (23/4oz) Confit Chilli Ezme,
optional Small handful of picked flat-leaf parsley leaves
Flaked sea salt and ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Method
Soak the freekeh in cold water for 5–10 minutes, or until the water runs clear when washed under a running tap.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat and add the shallots and celery. Cook for 7–10 minutes, until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the garlic and stir through for a few minutes, then add the tomato paste and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the freekeh to the pan and stir until coated. Throw in the wine and reduce until almost all of it has been absorbed.
Pour in the stock, ladle by ladle, and simmer until fully absorbed by the freekeh, about 25-30 minutes, then season with salt and black pepper and stir well.
Fold through the smoked paprika, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and thyme, and remove from the heat.
Spoon the risotto onto serving dishes, sprinkle the sourdough crumb over the top, stud each plate with confit garlic and top with an optional dollop of confit chilli ezme. Garnish with picked flat-leaf parsley leaves and a final drizzle of your best olive oil.
