MasterChef at Home: How to Make Collette Dinnigan’s ‘Perfect’ Zucchini Risotto

Fashion designer Collette Dinnigan is the latest celeb to turn heads in the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen, taking home an immunity pin for her most recent creation.

During a comfort-food challenge, Dinnigan decided to take on a zucchini risotto – and in doing so, blew the judges away with her skill.

Jock Zonfrillo praised her efforts, telling the designer:

“Well, Collette, that is a perfect risotto. It’s al dente. The rice is beautifully cooked. You went to that extra effort of making a really delicious stock. And what makes the zucchini flavour sing is that base stock.”

If you’d like to try and recreate the dish for yourself at home, it’s your lucky day because we have the Celebrity MasterChef recipe ready for your eager hands below.

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Collette Dinnigan’s Celebrity MasterChef Zucchini Risotto recipe

Serves 4

What you’ll need:

Chicken Stock

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, with leaves, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• green top of 1 leek
• 4 chicken wings
• 1.5L quality chicken stock
• ½ bunch parsley

Zucchini Risotto

• 2 medium zucchinis
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic
• 50g butter
• white base of 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 cups carnaroli rice
• 25g aged Parmesan
• squeeze lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Chilli Relish

• 4 tbsp tomato relish
• 2 tsp sweet chilli jam

Cos Salad

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp hot English mustard
• 1 tsp sugar
• baby cos lettuce leaves
• freshly cracked pepper and salt, to taste
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
• finely grated Parmesan, to serve

Directions:

1. For the Chicken Stock, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot and leek top and sauté until soft and lightly golden. Transfer to a pressure cooker.
2. Meanwhile, place a frypan over medium heat. Chop chicken wings into small pieces then add to the pan and cook, stirring regularly until golden brown all over. Add a little of the chicken stock to the pan to deglaze. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a boil. Transfer wings and stock to the pressure cooker along with parsley sprigs. Seal pressure cooker and cook for 25 minutes. Release pressure then strain through a superbag or lined fine sieve into a saucepan. Cover with a lid and set aside.
3. For the Zucchini Risotto, trim zucchini and cut lengthways into quarters then dice. Place 6 tbsp olive oil into a frypan over lowest possible heat. Add whole garlic clove then zucchini and cook very slowly, until lightly golden but still firm, about 40 minutes, adding a little stock to the pan as needed to prevent zucchini burning. Remove zucchini from the pan with a slotted spoon and place onto paper towel. Season with salt and set aside.
4. For the Cos Salad, place oil, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper into a screw-top jar, seal and shake thoroughly to combine.
5. Return stock to a gentle simmer.
6. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter and once hot, add leek and celery. Cook, stirring, until softened but not coloured. Add rice and stir until rice is coated and starting to turn translucent. Reduce the heat to low. Add a ladle of hot stock at a time, stirring regularly, until risotto is creamy, and rice is tender with just a little bite, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in remaining butter, Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice. Fold zucchini through gently.
7. For the Chilli Relish, place tomato relish and sweet chilli sauce in a bowl and stir until combined.
8. To serve, garnish risotto with fresh parsley. Dress cos leaves with dressing with fresh dill. Serve relish and extra Parmesan on the side.

You can catch Celebrity MasterChef on 10 at 7:30 pm on Sundays and Mondays.