Parsnip and bacon risotto

We love this meal sooo much that I thought it only fair that I share the deliciousness with you. It's based on the parsnip risotto recipe from one of the River Cottage books, but has been adapted to suit our taste (and what we have in the cupboard). Risotto purists may sneer at this recipe, but it's a regular for us when parsnips are in cheap abundance at the farm shop.

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Mrs Roe's Parsnip Risotto

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large parsnip, peeled and diced (remove the woody core)

4 rashers smoked bacon, chopped

160g risotto rice

1l vegetable stock

Black peper

Method

1. Put the stock into a pan and keep warm on a low heat, ready to be added to the risotto.
2. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the onion. Fry gently over a lowish heat until translucent.
3. Add the parsnip and continue to cook until it starts to soften.
4. Turn up the heat slightly and add the bacon. Cook until it no longer looks raw.
5. Tip in the rice and stir well so the oily/bacony/parsnippy flavours coat the grains.
6. Add a ladle of stock and stir continuously until it has been absorbed by the rice.
7. Add another ladle of stock, stir and wait... You need to keep an eye on it and be ready to add the next ladle of stock, which you will do once all the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Continue adding stock, ladle by ladle, until the rice looks like it's done. Taste it - the grains should be soft on the outside, with a firmness when you bite into it. If it's not quite right, add another ladle of stock (maybe only half a ladle at this point).
9. When it's ready, turn off the heat and leave it to stand for a few minutes before serving.

• I used carnaroli rice to make this, as I prefer the texture to aborio, but arborio works just as well. Don't be tempted to use long grain rice. It won't work out well.
• No cheese in this risotto - I don't think it needs the extra flavour when you've got the bacon in there.
• Incidentally, you don't need the bacon. I don't make a point of only cooking this when I have bacon and it tastes just as good without it.
• If you need the cheese in there, you could do the traditional risotto thing and add Parmesan, or a veggie alternative if you like, or be a bit more daring and try something different. I made it with Cornish brie the other week, which was excellent, or something strong like a quality mature cheddar would be nice. Blue cheese is good with parsnip, too (just saying).