#1 BEST Springtime Ham and Pea Risotto

This is the BEST Springtime Ham and Pea Risotto you will ever eat! It is creamy and comforting and showcases the finest of springtime flavors!

Ham and peas are two ingredients that come to mind I hear the word spring. But how could I incorporate the two without just having a ham and a side of peas? I toyed with the idea of a cold ham salad, but that didn’t seem too exciting. I knew I wanted a meal, but not a hot soup. After all, a split pea and ham soup is delicious, but that feels more like a winter dish. Then the idea of a risotto hit.

Wanting to punch up the flavor a bit, I came up with a couple of tricks that elevate this dish and separate it from all the rest. The first is using orange marmalade. Hmm you say? Yes, I like to glaze my ham with a mustard-marmalade mix and it is delicious! The mustard is tangy while the marmalade brings a hint of freshness and sweetness. My other trick is in the garnish. Keep reading to find that one out!

Risotto is really not a hard dish to make. It may seem daunting because of the time, but really it’s a matter of babysitting the rice. And while you do, have a glass of wine! Seasonal risotto’s like my Harvest Risotto are a great way to incorporate fresh local ingredients into a one pot meal. Feeling like you need more to make it a meal? My Irish Shamrock Pub Salad (minus the egg) would be a great side since it has some of the same ingredients.

The Method of Springtime Ham and Pea Risotto

Any recipe can be made quite easily as long as you are prepared before you start to cook. Read the recipe thoroughly. Chop, dice and measure your ingredients then line them up in order of use.

Ingredients for Springtime Ham and Pea Risotto :

• vegetable stock
• butter
• ham
• scallions
• white wine
• rice, Arborio
• ground mustard
• pepper
• grainy mustard
• orange marmalade
• parmesan cheese
• cheddar cheese
• garnish: scallions and shaved peas

First, warm the stock. According to Bon Appetite , using cold stock to make a risotto is a big nono! So go ahead and prepare your ingredients while you are heating it up. Next, melt butter in your skillet over medium heat (not to high or low). Add ham and scallions and saute until browned. Season with ground mustard and pepper. Add rice and toast for a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine scraping up all the brown bits. This is the critical part! Slowly add stock one ladle at a time. Stir occasionally, not vigorously but enough to keep the rice from sticking. Wait until all liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladle.

It will take 25-30 minutes for this step so have a glass of wine! When the stock is all gone and your rice is tender, stir in the grainy mustard and the marmalade. The jam is thick so make sure to incorporate completely. Add in your peas and cheeses and stir until the cheese is melted and gooey. Serve into bowls and garnish the top with chopped scallions and shaved peas.

Cook’s Notes:

I like fresh English Peas for my springtime ham and pea risotto, but you can use frozen baby peas.

Other fresh add ins to try: asparagus, leeks or chives, artichokes, fennel and morels.

To keep it a little bit lighter you can leave out the cheddar cheese, but I love the added sharpness against the sweet marmalade and tangy mustard.

Not a fan or orange marmalade? try using lemon zest with a bit of juice. Actually any citress with help to brighten the dish up.

You can substitute the grainy mustard for a honey mustard or even a hot spicy mustard!

To create my shaved pea garnish I use frozen peas shaved on a micro plane. This really enhances the pea flavor!

Absolutely no salt is needed in this dish! Between the ham, stock and parmesan cheese there is plenty of sodium!

Vegetarian? No problem. Substitute the ham for a vegan sausage.

The Essentials:

If you make this Springtime Ham and Pea Risotto and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars!