Welsh rarebit risotto

Alright, alright I promise this will be the last of my Welsh inspired recipes for the month, especially as this one confused the senses a little.

Although this Leek and cheese risotto was perfectly edible, D said when he closed his eyes he could taste 'Welsh Rarebit Toast', but when he opened his eyes he saw 'creamy cheesy rice'. It's unlike him to overly criticise, but he also added that it was overwhelmingly cheesy. I was absolutely surprised at this, as he loves his cheese. I did not think 100g cheese was that much, so I don’t know if I measured 200g by error instead of 100g. Also I’ve written before, risotto is not the easiest of dishes to photograph. This one is also monotone in colour and evening lighting does not do it any favours. D suggested I should have kept behind some softened leeks to top the risotto for colour balance and presentation. I learn for next time, but I do feel I have to keep reminding him this is a homely food blog.

Anyway, if you are encouraged to give this Welsh Rarebit risotto a go or any other leek recipe. May I share a very good tip with you in relation to cleaning grit out of leeks. I was reminded of it when fellow blogger Emily prompted me. Many of you will know that leeks are notorious for hiding soil in between its layers, well there is a nifty way of washing this out. Begin by making a vertical split about halfway down the centre of each one, then do this again, so you have four fantails. Then wash clean of grit by running them under cold water. I use this method all the time now when cooking with leeks.

For those of you who are interested in what brand of Worcester sauce I use, please follow this link. This one is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, but you can also use the traditional one that contains anchovies which is my husbands preference.
Welsh rarebit risotto
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks, sliced
200g risotto rice
2 pints vegetable stock
60g - 100g cheddar cheese, grated
Worcester sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat the oil in a wide shallow pan and cook the leeks until softened. Stir in the rice until coated and sauté with the leeks until the rice is translucent. Then gradually add the stock. Stir until the rice is tender – this will take about 30 minutes. You may not need all the liquid.
A couple of minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Pass the Worcester sauce around for those who wish to drizzle some over for extra flavour.

Red Dragon Chilli Shortbread

Well, I have to admit, I was rather taken aback with the positive responses to the Welsh Dragon Leek soup, but more so towards the Welsh Dragon savoury shortbread.

So may I present to you this Savoury shortbread in its own right. This savoury shortbread made from scratch with sharp cheddar cheese and chilli flakes, then cut in the shape of a Welsh Dragon.
The Welsh Dragon Cookie or biscuit cutter I used for here is perhaps the most expensive one I own. It cost about a £5.00. I actually purchased them on-line as I could not find any every time I went to Wales to visit family, none of the specialist cook shops or souvenir shops had any. My nephew recently notified me that there is a large cookware shop in Cardiff that now sells them for about the same price.

This Welsh dragon cutter is much more intricate in detail than the others I own and its is one that doesn’t come out that often, except perhaps around St Davids Day, but recently with my nephew up, I was reminded of home - rainy Wales. I wanted to make some Welsh recipes with a South Asian touch, but the Welsh boyo (my nephew) said he lives in Wales and the last thing he wants to do whilst visiting his number one Aunt in Scotland was eat Welsh inspired fare, so other than the Welsh Vegetarian Burger, I did not get to make any other others until now.
Ideally, I know these should have been made with a Welsh cheese such as Caerphilly or , but I’ve mentioned before that I do struggle to find good Welsh cheese in Scotland, so Cheddar it had to be. I am not one to boast, but these savoury shortbread biscuits are exceptionally good and wonderfully flaky. The cheddar flavour comes through rather strongly. Some of you will know that I served them with the 'Leek, potato and chilli soup' as a generous crouton, but they are fine to eat on their own as nibbles or served with some good chutney.

Of course being in the shape of a Red Dragon in Welsh Y Ddraig Goch, this savoury shortbread had to have an element of red running through it, hence the chilli flakes for colour and a little fire for flavour, after all we cannot have such a fantastical creature not breathing fire. The chilli kick is there, just not overly spicy. I recommend eating these fresh on the day, a day or two later and they lose that crisp freshness.
I made these in a food processor, but I am sure you can also do them by hand.
Red Dragon Chilli Shortbread
Makes 6 Welsh dragon or about 16 - 18 other shapes, a chilli pepper would be excellent.
Also you can double the quantity below if you want to make a lot more.
Ingredients
150g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
40g unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
130g plain white flour
1 - 2 teaspoons cold water (may not be necessary)
Method
Preheat oven to Gas mark 6.
In a food processor, blend together the cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add in the flour with the chilli flakes and mix thoroughly. You may or may not need it, so check and then add a teaspoon of water at a time to form a dough. If necessary, squeeze together with your hands to form the dough into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with your chosen cookie cutter and place on an un-oiled baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and bottom. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Recipe adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates.

Welsh Dragon Soup

Welsh Dragon Leek Soup with a fiery attitude.
In other words a 'Leek and potato soup with a chilli hit' served with a fiery Welsh dragon crouton aka savoury shortbread.

Even though I was born and bred in Wales. Leeks did not feature heavily in my diet. Neither at school or at home. So to make amends, the past few years I have been making dishes that feature this elegant, tall long Sally of the vegetable world. I would even go as far as describing the leeks as the Celtic beauty of the vegetable world: green and white. This may make some sense as to why it was claimed as the national symbol of Wales.
Back to the soup – traditional Welsh Leek soup is known in Welsh as: Cawl Cennin or Cawl Mamgu is made with leeks of course, bacon and chicken stock. As well as making this soup suitable for vegetarians and vegans. I have brought this old fashioned soup up to date by adding only a few flakes of chilli. I don’t think anyone should take exception with this, as Michelin and celebrity chefs are always tampering with traditional recipes. Anyway, I think this version would be appreciated and welcomed by many, especially this time of year when the weather outside is miserably wet and cold. A little fire in your belly from the watchful Welsh dragon can only warm you up: inside and out.

By the way feast your eyes on these huge leeks, that's my hand caressing them. I saw them last year at a Garden Show. If you want to read more about the Welsh leek and its symbolism for Wales, please follow this link.

Potato, Leek and Chilli Soup
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
400g leeks, washed well and finely sliced
600g potatoes, peeled and chopped into rough cubes
2 – 2 ½ pints vegetable stock
½ - 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Method
Heat the oil and cook the leeks gently for about 8 minutes without colouring and until they begin to wilt. Add the potatoes, chilli flakes and stock. Cover and bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 25 – 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
I like my soup a bit on the chunky side and with some texture, so I gently crushed the vegetables with a potato masher, but if you wish cool a little then puree in a liquidizer until smooth.