The new normal (with risotto)

They say humans are adaptable. Apparently so. Last Thursday morning I did a perfectly usual site visit to an archive (my job). Last Thursday lunchtime I caught covid19 panic and wimped out of a trip to Paris for a meeting, on the grounds of a sniffle (literally the second Paris trip my job has required in 18 years, lest the glamour of my jetsetting overwhelm you). I came home, and started to realise life was about to turn completely unrecognisable.

This Thursday I worked from home. I picked a pre-breakfast yoga class from Adriene's Yoga for Troubled Times playlist (Yoga for Mood Swings, because boy, howdy). I had lunch which I had intended for my desk at work, and which has travelled to and fro with me several times this week as normal working became progressively less reliable. I collected a bunch of working-from-home support stuff from Waitrose which I'd got sent there by John Lewis in the days where this was convenient, rather than a stupid thing to do to distract stressed shop staff from restocks (they were lovely). I videoconned a bunch of people, and Whatsapped others, and generally, so long as the wifi lasts, I guess this is my life now.

But this evening, I had a dinner that I had planned and mostly shopped for before the Fear (and the Reality) took hold. Leek and Smoked Haddock risotto, from the amazing Diana Henry's early book Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons.

Leeks, pre-mulch

I love a leek, me. And I love a risotto. They are so simple, and they don't mess you around.

Leeks, you slice into thick coins, bung into some butter and cover for 15 minutes, and they turn from a lovely springy heap into mulch. I used 2 leeks, for 2 portions of risotto.

Poaching haddock. With the best will in the world, it's not photogenic

I'm only a moderate fan of smoked haddock, especially the vivid yellow stuff which was what I could find last week. But it's reasonably healthy, and easy to deal with. One pack, here. Poach for 5 minutes, in this case in chicken stock. (Why am I eating stuff I'm only a moderate fan of, before lockdown? Vague pretensions to health, and I'm a sucker for recipes by cooks I trust.) When it's done, fish the poached fish out of its poaching liquid, retaining the latter.

Rice mixed with leek mulch - believe me, it's delicious despite the words

Then risotto it up. If you know how to make risotto, this is the usual: stir the right amount of rice for the number of portions you need into the allium mulch, add stock (no wine in this one, no need), slow simmer till done.

I mean technically, it involves adding stock ladle by ladle while stirring lovingly, but I almost never do and it's always fine. I had a bath this time during most of the cooking time. No crisis. When the rice is nearly done, add at least one ladle of the fishy stock (NB it'll be salty, and I had loads left which wasn't needed). Stir in a couple of tbsps parmesan, turn out the heat, put a lid on it, and LEAVE IT ALONE for 5 minutes. This part, unlike the stirring thing, is mandatory, and also effortless. It lets any risotto relax, and the flavours are great. Plus, you won't burn your mouth scoffing it. Which, after those 5 minutes, you will want to.

Risotto with asparagus on the side. We will come back to asparagus. I am obsessed.

The one downside to this recipe is I could have made a conscientious stock out of the fish poaching liquid, asparagus ends and all the leek trimmings. And if I had anything like a full sized freezer to store such things, I would. But nope, my freezer is tiny and very, very full. So my food bin is bulging. What a waste.