1 – Make the mint oil. Place the mint leaves in a bowl, add the olive oil and seasoning, then stir vigorously. Set aside to infuse at room temperature.
2 – Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a saucepan. Crumble the stock cube and add it in, then reduce the heat to very low.
3 – Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion, season, then allow to soften for several minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a few minutes, ensuring it doesn’t colour.
4 – Add the rice and stir well for a minute or two to allow the grains to absorb the flavours. Ladle in enough hot stock just to cover the rice, then simmer on a medium heat for several minutes, stirring constantly until the grains have absorbed all the liquid. Add the remaining stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, until each ladleful is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. This will take around 20–25 mins.
5 – Defrost the peas by covering them with freshly boiled water, leave for 5 mins, then drain. Add to pan along with the spinach and lemon juice. Stir until the spinach has wilted. Taste, season again if necessary, then serve garnished with the lemon zest and drizzled with the mint oil.