I don't always enjoy eating risotto. For me, it can't be too mushy, it can't be too clumpy. It should be a bit on the soupy side; and the rice should still have a bit of bite to it. You should be able to put it on a plate and have it naturally run to nearly the rim, but the sauce should still be saucy.

It's a fine balance. It can also be extremely bland, if improperly seasoned. The recipe I'm sharing today is a delight, and almost entirely fool-proof.

The addition of mascarpone cheese at the last minute takes the risotto from bland to super creamy and rich. The fresh, barely blanched green vegetables on top have a crunch and a freshness that cuts through the richness in the perfect way. The salty hit from the prosciutto brings it all home. You don't need a huge amount of this to be completely satisfied, and yet it's an entire meal on one plate.

If you wanted to pair it with another protein, Dublin Bay prawns would work really well, or seared scallops.

Creamy Summer Risotto

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

8 slices of prosciutto

60g frozen or fresh peas

60g diced courgette

60g diced mangetout

60g finely diced shallot

2 tbsp butter

250g arborio rice

200ml white wine

1l hot vegetable stock

200g mascarpone cheese

2 tsp lemon rind

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh salad greens, for garnish

Good quality olive oil, for drizzling

This risotto combines fresh green veggies, crispy prosciutto and creamy mascarpone cheese for the ultimate comforting summer dish.

Directions

1. Place the slices of prosciutto on a lined baking sheet and bake in a 200°C oven until crispy - about 10 minutes, depending on how hot the oven is.

2. Bring 1l of vegetable stock to a simmer. Remove from heat and gently poach the mangetout, peas and courgette for one to two minutes (do not overcook the mangetout). When they're bright green, remove them from the stock and set aside. Keep the stock hot for the risotto.

3. Start the risotto: in a large saucepan, on medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the finely diced shallot. Gently cook the shallot until translucent, about three minutes, and then add the rice. Gently cook the rice for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the grains are coated in the butter and warmed through.

4. Add the wine and cook until the majority of the liquid has been absorbed. Then, add 200ml hot stock. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and then add another 200ml of stock. Continue doing this until the rice looks creamy, the sauce has thickened, and, when tasted, the rice is cooked 90% of the way through. This is a slow process and will take at least 30 minutes from start to finish.

5. When the rice is cooked, season with salt, pepper and lemon rind. Add the mascarpone and stir through until completely incorporated. Taste the risotto and adjust the seasoning, if necessary (remember, you can always add more salt but you can't take it away once it's added).

6. Warm dinner plates for serving. Scoop some risotto on to the plate and let it spread out a bit. Then, top with lightly warmed green vegetables, crumbled crispy prosciutto, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh garden greens. Serve immediately.

*You can cook risotto three quarters of the way and then cool and chill until closer to service time. If you have leftover risotto, you can chill, roll it into balls, bread and deep fry for arancini.