A COCKTAIL ON A PLATE

Because, like most ladies, I like to look good, yesterday after work I spent two hours in a hairdressers being primped, trimmed and preened and whilst I came home sporting a remarkably stylish new look, I wasn't particularly in the mood to be traipsing around the supermarket situated at the bottom of my road looking for something to cook. So, I decided to see what I had in my store cupboard. Unlike Nigel Slater-a man I worship as a God on earth-my store cupboard isn't filled with such exotic fancies as White Truffle Oil and Black Olive Paté. However, I do have a pack of risotto rice, some leftover tomato and garlic pureé from another cookery adventure, some Marigold Vegetable Bouillon, various delicious tasting liquids such as Tabasco and Worcester Sauce, and my housemates were kind enough to provide me with some delectable french goats cheese bought from a local farmers market and a fair amount of Absolut Vodka. So, what better to make than a Bloody Mary...and then transfer it into a Risotto? Which, fortified by Vodka and some exceedingly good music on the radio provided by my favourite music station Revolution 96.2 I duly did.

MISS CAY'S BLOODY MARY RISOTTO (serves 3-4 people)

Ingredients:
One Onion
1/2 jar of Passata
Two tablespoons of Tomato & Garlic Puree (Or just plain old tomato puree if you're not feeling too exotic)
One pint of Chicken/Vegetable Stock (You're best off using liquid stock or Marigold Bouillon for this as I feel they give a better flavour to the dish than just a plain old stock cube)
100ml of Vodka (roughly about four/five shots. I used Absolut Vodka here because we just had it in the freezer, but any brand should do, even Grants The Exciting Vodka)
One tablespoon of butter
One pack of risotto rice
A dash of Worcester Sauce
A dash of Tabasco (as much as personal taste dictates)
100g of Goats Cheese
Salt and Pepper


MAKE IT!
:: Chop the onion and sweat it in the butter until soft
:: Add the tomato & garlic pureé and cook with the onions for around five minutes
:: Add the risotto rice and cook until every grain is coated in the mixture.
:: Ladle the stock slowly into the saucepan. Wait until the liquid is soaked up by the rice and it starts to look "creamy" before adding more.
:: Once 3/4 of the stock has been added and the rice is almost cooked, add the passata and the vodka and allow to cook for five-six minutes. Add more stock if necessary to keep the rice from drying out.
:: When cooked, add the Worcester and Tabasco Sauce to taste and stir in the Goats Cheese until melted. Serve with Celery and more Vodka if avaliable.


This is a dish best served in good company when piping hot. Preferably in front of the TV when some crap show (e.g. Big Brother) is on. Although I'm sure it would taste just as good eaten in front of something like The Culture Show. Why don't you try both and let me know?