Hairy Bikers risotto carbonara is their own invention, not a traditional dish. It takes 300g of risotto rice, 150g of pancetta lardons, two egg yolks and Parmesan, and feeds four in about 40 minutes at roughly 600 calories.
They own up to it in the book, calling it their genius idea of putting together the two most comforting dishes they can think of, then adding an apology to Italian purists. Their words for the result are a big comfy hug.
The yolks go in right at the end, after the last of the stock and off the boil. Get that timing wrong and they set instead of thickening, which is the one way this recipe can go against you.
Hairy Bikers Risotto Carbonara
Description
The pancetta is fried first and split in two, with most stirred through the rice and the rest saved for the top. Rice, wine and stock go in the same pan afterwards, taking up all that flavour. Egg yolks, butter and Parmesan finish it.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fry the pancetta: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the pancetta lardons. Fry over a high heat until crisp and browned, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Soften the onion: Add half the butter to the pan. Once it has melted, add the onion and cook over a low to medium heat until soft and see-through.
- Coat the rice: Add the garlic, thyme and rice, then stir until the rice looks glossy with oil and butter. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the wine: Pour in the wine and bring to the boil. When it has almost boiled off, add a ladleful of stock.
- Add the stock slowly: Stir the stock into the rice over a medium heat and keep stirring until most of it has been taken up. Repeat until all the stock is used, which takes at least 20 minutes. The rice should end up slightly al dente with a creamy sauce around it, and still have a little bite when you taste it.
- Finish with the yolks: Beat in the egg yolks, then the rest of the butter and half the Parmesan. Stir in two-thirds of the pancetta and leave it to stand for a couple of minutes so the meat heats through.
- Serve: Scatter over the rest of the pancetta and the remaining Parmesan.
FAQs
Is this a real Italian dish?
No, and they say so themselves. They describe it as their genius idea of putting risotto and spaghetti carbonara together, and apologise to Italian purists in the same breath.
Neither dish is made this way in Italy, since carbonara is pasta and risotto is rice. So this is a British mash-up rather than something with history behind it.
Why only the yolks and not whole eggs?
Because yolks thicken without setting. Egg white cooks firm and would leave white threads through the rice, while the yolk just makes everything richer and smoother.
Two yolks is enough for 300g of rice, since the butter and Parmesan are doing work as well. Their spaghetti carbonara uses two whole eggs instead, because there the hot pasta cooks them gently in a bowl rather than in the pan.
Why fry the pancetta first and take it out?
For two reasons. It stays crisp instead of softening in the rice for half an hour, and everything after it cooks in the fat it left behind.
The split at the end matters too. Two-thirds goes into the risotto for flavour and one-third stays back for the top, so you still get crunch in every bowl.
How long does the stirring really take?
At least 20 minutes, which the recipe states plainly, and it wants your attention for all of it. A litre of stock goes in a ladle at a time and each one has to be taken up before the next.
There is no shortcut with this method. Their seafood paella uses the same 300g of rice and is never stirred once, which shows how differently the two dishes treat the same ingredient.
What can I use instead of pancetta?
Thick streaky bacon, cut into cubes yourself. You want proper chunks rather than thin strips, so they crisp up and hold their shape in the rice.
Avoid ready-cut cooking bacon, which is usually sliced too thin and goes limp. Their beetroot risotto is the meat-free one among their risottos, finished with goats’ cheese instead of pancetta and Parmesan.
