Mountain cheese risotto

DifficultyIntermediate

Hard mountain cheeses like parmesan and gruyere are great for hiking. They are full of flavour, and they keep really well in your backpack. And they make a fantastic risotto!

Yields2 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time35 minsTotal Time45 mins
Summary
 600 g total weight dry ingredients
 1 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 750 ml water
 2 units of fuel
Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil
 3 chicken stock cubes or vegetarian equivalent (each cube makes 1 cup of stock)
 1 medium brown onions
 1 clove garlic
 1 stick celery
 1 cup arborio rice
 50 g gruyere cheese, vacuum packed, with a long use-by dateIf you can't find gruyere, you could look for raclette, Comté or Appenzeller
 50 g parmesan cheese, vacuum packed, with a long use-by date
 Salt and pepper
Packing for your hike
1

Put celery, rice and dried peas in separate sealed plastic bags. If your gruyere and parmesan is vacuum sealed, leave it in its packaging (you can save any leftover cheese for lunch the next day).

Ingredients for mountain cheese risotto - onion, celery, dried green peas, stock cubes, garlic, arborio rice, gruyere and parmesan. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Bring the water to the boil. Crumble the stock cubes, and stir to dissolve. Cover and keep as warm as possible.

Adding stock cube to boiling water in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

3

While waiting for the water to boil, chop the onion, garlic and celery. Cut the gruyere and parmesan into small chunks.

Chopped onion, celery and garlic on hiker's chopping mat. Chopped gruyere and parmesan. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
4

In another pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Fry onion and celery, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.

Onion, celery and garlic frying on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Mix in the rice and peas, and stir for a minute or two.

Rice and dried green peas frying on camping stove with onion, celery and garlic. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Add about 1/2 cup of the stock to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the stock has been completely absorbed. The rice and stock should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed. Continue cooking the rice, adding stock 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice to absorb it before adding the next 1/2 cup. Cook the rice in this way until it is tender but still has a firm bite, around 20 minutes in all. You may not need to use all of the liquid, or you may need to add extra water.

Adding stock to the rice in the camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Stir in the gruyere and most of the the parmesan cheese. As soon as cheese is melted, take off the heat.

Adding the gruyere and parmesan to the risotto, in the camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

8

Divide risotto between bowls. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top, and season with salt and pepper.

Mountain cheese risotto in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Ingredients

Summary
 600 g total weight dry ingredients
 1 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 750 ml water
 2 units of fuel
Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil
 3 chicken stock cubes or vegetarian equivalent (each cube makes 1 cup of stock)
 1 medium brown onions
 1 clove garlic
 1 stick celery
 1 cup arborio rice
 50 g gruyere cheese, vacuum packed, with a long use-by dateIf you can't find gruyere, you could look for raclette, Comté or Appenzeller
 50 g parmesan cheese, vacuum packed, with a long use-by date
 Salt and pepper

Directions

Packing for your hike
1

Put celery, rice and dried peas in separate sealed plastic bags. If your gruyere and parmesan is vacuum sealed, leave it in its packaging (you can save any leftover cheese for lunch the next day).

Ingredients for mountain cheese risotto - onion, celery, dried green peas, stock cubes, garlic, arborio rice, gruyere and parmesan. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Bring the water to the boil. Crumble the stock cubes, and stir to dissolve. Cover and keep as warm as possible.

Adding stock cube to boiling water in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

3

While waiting for the water to boil, chop the onion, garlic and celery. Cut the gruyere and parmesan into small chunks.

Chopped onion, celery and garlic on hiker's chopping mat. Chopped gruyere and parmesan. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
4

In another pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Fry onion and celery, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.

Onion, celery and garlic frying on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Mix in the rice and peas, and stir for a minute or two.

Rice and dried green peas frying on camping stove with onion, celery and garlic. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Add about 1/2 cup of the stock to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the stock has been completely absorbed. The rice and stock should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed. Continue cooking the rice, adding stock 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice to absorb it before adding the next 1/2 cup. Cook the rice in this way until it is tender but still has a firm bite, around 20 minutes in all. You may not need to use all of the liquid, or you may need to add extra water.

Adding stock to the rice in the camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Stir in the gruyere and most of the the parmesan cheese. As soon as cheese is melted, take off the heat.

Adding the gruyere and parmesan to the risotto, in the camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

8

Divide risotto between bowls. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top, and season with salt and pepper.

Mountain cheese risotto in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Notes

Mountain cheese risotto
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