Ingredients

• sea salt
• 6 large tomatoes
• cut in half
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions
• sliced
• 450g/1lb Arborio or similar risotto rice
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• splash white wine
• 650ml/1 pint 3½fl oz hot vegetable stock
• 75ml/3fl oz double cream
• 400g/14oz baby spinach
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• parmesan shavings
• to serve (vegetarians can substitute similar vegetarian hard cheese)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 12 slices vegetarian black pudding

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 140C/285F/Gas 1.
• For the roasted tomatoes
• cover a baking tray with sea salt.
• Place the tomatoes
• cut-side up
• onto the tray of salt and place into the oven for three hours
• or until the tomatoes are completely dried out.
• For the risotto
• heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the onions. Fry the onions until softened but not browned.
• Add the rice
• thyme and wine and stir well. When the wine has been absorbed by the rice
• add a ladleful of stock and stir constantly until almost all the stock has been absorbed.
• Add another ladleful of stock and repeat the process of stirring and adding stock until the rice is completely cooked through
• but still with a bit of 'bite'.
• Add the cream and the spinach and stir well
• seasoning
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the black pudding
• heat the oil in a clean frying pan over a medium heat. Add the black pudding and fry
• turning once
• until crisp on both sides and completely cooked through.
• To serve
• place a generous portion of the risotto into each bowl. Top each bowl of risotto with two roasted tomato halves and three slices of black pudding and garnish with fresh parmesan shavings.