Lemon and Parsley Risotto

Peel and chop the onion. Cut the core out of the red pepper and chop half of it into very small dice. Put two tablespoonfuls of olive oil into a thick bottomed saucepan and slowly cook the onion stirring occasionally until soft but not browned in any way. Add the chopped pepper after five minutes or so.

Stir the rice into the onion and stir for a few minutes. Add the glass of wine and the juice of half a lemon and reduce over a medium low light. Then add the chicken stock a little at a time stirring until the rice is almost done which will probably take a good twenty minutes.

Meanwhile grind the saffron in a pestle and mortar and dissolve in a a couple of tablespoonfuls of liquid from the rice. Strip the parsley from the leaves and chop fairly finely. Then when the rice is more or less done stir the saffron liquor and parsley into the rice.

When the rice is cooked and the liquid has more or less gone, season to taste with salt and more lemon juice if required. Stir in a tablespoonful of olive oil if you like and serve.