Tuna and pea risotto: one of our hiking favourites

DifficultyIntermediate

The ingredients for this delicious risotto are often easy to find in supermarkets. If your local store has tuna in sachets, why not grab some for your next hike?

Yields2 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time40 minsTotal Time50 mins
Summary
 600 g total weight
 1 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
Water and fuel
 750 ml water
 1.50 units of fuel
Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil
 2 chicken stock cubes or vegetarian equivalent (each cube makes 1 cup of stock)
 1 small brown onions
 1 cup arborio rice
 150 g sachets of tuna in oil
 2 tbsp dried basil
 1 garlic clove
 1 tsp dried chilli
 ¼ cup grated parmesan
 Salt and pepper
  cup tomato powder
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
</div><div>You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same.
 ¼ cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)
Packing for your hike
1

Put the rice and dried peas in a bag together. Pack the tomato powder, dried basil, dried chilli and grated parmesan in separate bags.

Ingredients for tuna and pea risotto: tuna in sachets, arborio rice, dried peas, parmesan, garlic, onion, dried basil, stock cube, olive oil, dried chilli and tomato powder. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Put the water on to boil, then chop the onion and garlic.

Chopped onion and garlic on a lightweight hiker's chopping mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

When the water is boiling, crumble in the stock cubes and stir to dissolve. Take off the stove, cover and keep as warm as possible.
Note: If you have the luxury of two burners, you can keep your stock on a low simmer on one stove, while you fry the onions on the other (see next step). This would use more fuel, but it would make the risotto cook more quickly.

Crumbling a stock cube into boiling water in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

In another pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Fry onion, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so.

Onion frying on camping stove, next to chopped garlic on lightweight chopping mat. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Add rice and peas to the pan, and stir for a minute or two.

Rice and dried peas added to garlic and onion in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Add tomato powder (or tomato paste) and dried basil, keeping a small amount of basil aside for later. Pour about 1/2 cup of the stock onto 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 25 minutes in all. You may not need to use all of the liquid, or you may need to add extra water.

Risotto cooking on camping stove, with stock, tomato powder and dried basil. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Stir in tuna and most of the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper

Stirring the tuna and parmesan into the cooked risotto on a camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

8

Divide risotto between bowls. Sprinkle the remaining dried basil and parmesan on top, and serve with chilli to taste.

Tuna and pea risotto in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Ingredients

Summary
 600 g total weight
 1 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
Water and fuel
 750 ml water
 1.50 units of fuel
Ingredients
 2 tbsp olive oil
 2 chicken stock cubes or vegetarian equivalent (each cube makes 1 cup of stock)
 1 small brown onions
 1 cup arborio rice
 150 g sachets of tuna in oil
 2 tbsp dried basil
 1 garlic clove
 1 tsp dried chilli
 ¼ cup grated parmesan
 Salt and pepper
  cup tomato powder
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
</div><div>You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same.
 ¼ cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)

Directions

Packing for your hike
1

Put the rice and dried peas in a bag together. Pack the tomato powder, dried basil, dried chilli and grated parmesan in separate bags.

Ingredients for tuna and pea risotto: tuna in sachets, arborio rice, dried peas, parmesan, garlic, onion, dried basil, stock cube, olive oil, dried chilli and tomato powder. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Put the water on to boil, then chop the onion and garlic.

Chopped onion and garlic on a lightweight hiker's chopping mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

When the water is boiling, crumble in the stock cubes and stir to dissolve. Take off the stove, cover and keep as warm as possible.
Note: If you have the luxury of two burners, you can keep your stock on a low simmer on one stove, while you fry the onions on the other (see next step). This would use more fuel, but it would make the risotto cook more quickly.

Crumbling a stock cube into boiling water in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

In another pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Fry onion, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so.

Onion frying on camping stove, next to chopped garlic on lightweight chopping mat. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Add rice and peas to the pan, and stir for a minute or two.

Rice and dried peas added to garlic and onion in camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Add tomato powder (or tomato paste) and dried basil, keeping a small amount of basil aside for later. Pour about 1/2 cup of the stock onto 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 25 minutes in all. You may not need to use all of the liquid, or you may need to add extra water.

Risotto cooking on camping stove, with stock, tomato powder and dried basil. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Stir in tuna and most of the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper

Stirring the tuna and parmesan into the cooked risotto on a camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

8

Divide risotto between bowls. Sprinkle the remaining dried basil and parmesan on top, and serve with chilli to taste.

Tuna and pea risotto in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Tuna and pea risotto: one of our hiking favourites
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