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1
Pour the boiling water into a pyrex or other heat resistant jug, add the chicken stock cube (or veg cube) and stir to dissolve.
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2
Put the knob of butter (about 1 or 2 teaspoons) into a wok or deep frying pan - I used a medium sized non-stick one - easier.
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3
Put the pan onto a hotplate full on or just below.
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4
(Meanwhile put the Broccoli, split into bite sized pieces, into a small pan of water with a pinch of salt to cook for about 3 to 5 mins).
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5
When the butter has melted and begun to bubble, but not brown, add the cup of rice.
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6
Stir for a minute or 2, not longer or the rice will brown.
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7
Then add about a cup of the water & stock cube mix, stir now and then until the liquid has almost all gone, then add more stock, and stir again until the liquid had again almost gone - keep doing this until the stock is almost all gone from the jug, leaving about 1 cupful.
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8
At this point add the chopped asparagus spears and the last cup of stock, reduce again stirring now and then.
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9
Add the mangetout peas (cut into 3) and frozen peas and another cup of fresh boiled water, reduce again,.
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10
then add the strained broccoli, 3 grated cheeses and the Mascarpone.
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11
Now you just need to keep on tasting the rice to make sure it isn't hard - if it's still hard but the liquid in the pan is gone then add another cup of boiled water and reduce again, repeat until the rice is soft enough to eat.
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12
Just before serving add the chopped fresh basil - Yum!
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13
The other way is to just cook the rice and stock/water alone until it is soft enough to eat, then add the cooked broccoli, peas and mangetout - if you are doing it this way then blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 - 3 mins and add at the same time as the broccoli, then add the 4 cheeses and stir on the heat until thick and creamy.
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14
Then add the chopped fresh Basil stir and serve.
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15
Maybe with another grating of fresh pecorino cheese on top.
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16
Serve as a vegetarian main meal or as an accompaniment to a main meal or as a little starter - if a starter it might stretch to 8 or 10, depending on the size of your individual serving dishes.
