Creamy Mushroom and Danish Blue Cheese Risotto

I made this out of a severe blue cheese pregnancy craving - as I'm only allowed it when cooked through and it was a definite winner. Rich, creamy and unctuous with that perfect blue cheese tang - it's sure to become a regular and is a great Meat Free Monday option if you stick to vegetable stock - of which we have been neglecting grossly in recent months.

This makes enough for three portions.

Creamy Mushroom and Danish Blue Cheese Risotto

Here's how:

• 250g arborio rice
• Handful spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Carton of chestnut or field mushrooms, thoroughly washed 100g Danish Blue (I used the Lidl Milbona) 
• Pinch salt 
• Pinch black pepper 
• Pinch dried thyme
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon crème fraiche

Firstly add a tablespoon of the olive oil to a non-stick pan and place on a medium heat.

In the meantime finely dice the onions and mince the garlic and add to the pan to sauté gently.

Wash and dry the mushrooms, and chop into small pieces, set aside for the moment.

Once the onion and garlic have softened add the arborio rice to the pan and quickly move around with a wooden spoon to ensure all the rice is in touch with the base and the oil. Allow to cook for five minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, and not allowing to burn.

Now add the mushrooms and allow to cook for a minute before adding a ladleful of the stock plus a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir and allow the rice and mushrooms to absorb the stock fully, and keep stirring to prevent any sticking at the bottom. Continue by adding a ladleful more at a time and the same process of stirring etc. until the rice has puffed right up and absorbed most of the stock. Taste the rice to check if it has the consistency you prefer and once happy, allow all the stock to be absorbed then add the crème fraiche to thicken the risotto and add a delicious creaminess to the texture and flavour.

Once the cream has been absorbed crumble in the Danish Blue cheese, and allow to fully melt, continuing to stir all the while. Finish with seasoning to taste and dish up on a bed of rocket, spinach leaves or watercress for a delicious mid-week meal.

The Burger Joint, Bristol

I’ve been in Bristol for a few days, firstly for work, and secondly to visit my brother Dan and when I travelled up from London on Wednesday evening after work, the severe weather across the West ensured I had a less than idyllic journey.

My brother picked me up from the station and suggested The Burger Joint for dinner – knowing it to be good and equally important given the time – fast.

A small, informal venue, there were several full tables when we arrived at around 9:30pm and the diners appeared to be a mixture of students and couples.

We were welcomed by a very friendly waitress and she quickly explained how the menu worked. So you choose which burger you want, from a selection including wild boar, venison and Welsh lamb and mint along with the obvious chicken, and prime beef (which we both opted for) and a few different vegetarian options. All under £8.00 each, the burgers come in ciabatta with gherkins, lettuce and tomato and an option of a glazed brioche bun is also available, although sadly they had run out on Wednesday evening.

The toppings are all either 80p each of 3 for £1.95 and I chose blue cheese, bacon and pineapple, Dan chose Cheddar, a pineapple and some sautéed onions – both fairly safe choices, but as I said it was late and we were both tired and hungry.

Next part is choosing your two free sauces for inside your burger – I went for a predictable BBQ and mayo, however there are more exciting choices such as tarragon & lemon mayo and apple salsa if you’re so inclined.

A free side comes with each and we both opted for some French fries. We ordered as an extra to share some beer battered onion rings, as Dan had highly recommended them from his last visit to The Burger Joint. They were absolutely exceptional – the best I’ve tasted by far. Chunky rings of white onion, in the tastiest, crisp batter – if the burger hadn’t been good it would be worth returning just to have these again.

I wasn’t asked how well done I’d like my burger cooked, but was delighted when it arrived to find it juicy and pink in the middle – the best way (in my opinion) to enjoy a burger.

The blue cheese, pineapple and bacon combination worked beautifully against the prime beef burger – it was incredibly flavoursome, succulent and satisfying burger. The fries were great too although the portion size was huge, so you could have easily shared a portion.

I washed down my meal with a couple of Peroni’s and Dan, the designated driver, had some elderflower presse with his and the entire bill came to a ridiculously reasonable £26 – worth every single penny.

London is awash with burger bars and restaurants – it’s the trend that hasn’t gone away for the past few years really, and I would say that The Burger Joint could easily stand up to most that I’ve tried in flavour, substance and variety.

I would thoroughly recommend The Burger Joint to anybody looking for a good, honest and affordable burger restaurant in the Bristol area. The food was great and the staff friendly,  what else could you ask for?