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Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers, chestnut mushrooms and pancetta risotto

recipe information

01 Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the butter and allow to melt, then add the risotto rice and fry in the butter for 2-3 minutes to open the grains and allow the flavour to infuse into the rice.

02 Next, add a third of the hot stock and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice, stirring occasionally, and adding a little more stock every time it becomes dry. After about 10-12 minutes when the rice is nearly cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and grasshoppers and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. When the rice is cooked (each grain should be translucent from both ends with a little white still in the middle to give the rice some bite) add the cream and mix through.

03 At the same time while cooking the rice, heat the grill to medium. Grill the pancetta on a grill tray, turning regularly until crispy, then roughly chop into pieces.

Serve in bowls topped with crispy pancetta and chives.

Ingredients

  • 25ml/1fl oz/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 white onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, diced
  • 50g/1¾oz/3½ tbsp salted butter
  • 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup risotto rice
  • 800ml/1¾ pints/3½ cups hot vegetable stock
  • 40g/1½oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 10 grasshoppers, wings and legs removed
  • 100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup double cream
  • 4 rashers of pancetta or smoked bacon
  • 2 tsp chopped chives

Eat Grub are stirring things up in the kitchen, adding edible insects to your favourite dishes! Grub’s Up is a series of recipes for you to try at home. Today we present our Grasshoppers, Chestnut Mushrooms and Pancetta Risotto. Classy, creamy and indulgent our edible insects are the perfect substitute for chicken or walnuts. Grasshoppers are not only delicious they are also packed full of high quality nutrients. Grasshoppers are an excellent source of protein, fibre, Omegas 3 & 6, iron, calcium, Vit B12 plus many more micronutrients. This will elevate the nutritional good stuff in any plant-based dish.

That’s not all. The nutrients in edible insects are completely sustainable. Insects require a fraction of the land, resources and energy compared to traditional livestock. However, you get the same nutritional benefits.

Our favourite thing about this dish is it’s so simple and very quick. So making healthier choices with a busy schedule even easier. We think this is a dish for two, but hey who’s judging? You can eat the whole lot, completely guilt free. Or keep some for lunch the next day.

Nuts of all kinds are often found in risotto recipes, but here we’re substituting walnuts for grasshoppers – a slightly more unusual take on the ever-adaptable Italian dish.

Serves 2-3

We will be adding plenty more of our videos and recipes to keep things fresh, for you. We have created recipes using each of our Eat Grub edible insects. So you can try a dish for grasshoppers, buffalo worms, mealworms, crickets and cricket powder. We believe that adding edible insects to familiar dishes will make insects a staple in your diet. Once you taste how delicious insects are, and reap the nutritional rewards you will never go back. For more inspiration check out our other insect recipes.

Now that you love cooking with edible insects, help us spread the grub love further. Show your friends and family! You can give them our discount code – grublove for 15% of their order to get them started.

Buy the ingredients

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