A good creamy risotto can form the basis of many irresistible meals. When figs are in season, bake them with honey and pair them with crispy pancetta to accompany this blue cheese risotto.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 50 grams butter
• 1 cup short grain rice (preferably arborio)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups chicken stock, hot
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 100-150 grams blue cheese, crumbled

Honeyed Figs

• 6-8 fresh figs
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon flavourless oil
• 1 tablsepoon picked fresh lemon thyme leaves, optional

Method

1. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter in a large frying pan, for 10-12 minutes over a low heat until very soft; the onion needs to be well-cooked before adding the rice. Stir regularly to prevent the onion and garlic from burning.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter. Add the wine and stir continuously until the rice has absorbed all the wine. Do this over a moderately low heat and you need to cook the rice gently. Too hot a heat and all the liquid will evaporate before the rice has had time to release its starchy secrets that create a creamy smooth risotto.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and continue to stir, on a reasonably regular basis, adding more stock - in half cupfuls- as the stock is absorbed. Once all the stock has been added, the rice is tender and the risotto creamy in texture, stir the cream and parmesan and taste for salt, seasoning as required. Scatter in the blue cheese and serve with crispy pan-fried slices of pancetta or bacon (as many as you wish but 2 per person is about right) and accompanied with the Honeyed Figs.

Honeyed Figs

1. Place the figs in a shallow oven-proof dish and drizzle over the honey and oil. Place into a 190ºC oven and bake for 8 -10 minutes or until the figs are well-plumped and sizzling in the dish. I like to turn the figs in the honey and oil after the first 5 minutes of cooking time. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme before serving.