Risotto with Graukäse and white onions

Ingredients for 4 persons

For the risotto

240 gr Carnaroli rice

50 gr of white wine

2 lt of chicken stock

4 white onions

100 gr of butter

100 gr of aged apple cider vinegar

2 bay leaves

ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

100 gr of Normandy butter

40 gr grated Parmesan, aged 12 months

salt

Duncan Gardham gives his body and his palate a winter workout in the ski resort of San Cassiano in the Italian Dolomites.

It was not the most auspicious start to a week of gourmet skiing. The Friday night before departure I ventured out to meet a friend for a quiet drink and stopped at one of Holloway Road's finest eating establishments on the way home for one of north London's best kebabs – just for old time's sake.

Perhaps it was the shish kebab, or maybe I picked the bug up elsewhere, but at any rate the last thing I felt like on arriving at San Cassiano in the Italian Dolomites for a week of skiing and eating was eating.

Designed to get you fitter and healthier, have a fantastic time, and experience a magical ski holiday in the spectacular Italian Dolomites.

Our destination is the Hotel Rosa Alpina, a beautiful Relais & Chateaux family run hotel in the charming village of San Cassiano (at 1,535m).

By SANDY GALL

One glorious sunny morning we took the cable car (or gondola, as they call it here) from the foot of Lagazuoi, the most historic mountain in the Dolomites, and were hoisted with Ferrari-like acceleration over the pines and up the rock face. At the top, more than 9,000ft above sea level, the wind was icy, but the view superb.

Two-Michelin-starred chef Norbert Niederkofler is a vital member of the team at award-winning Hotel Rosa Alpina in the Italian Dolomites (which won the Hotel Spas: Europe, Asia Minor & the Russian Federation award at the Readers' Spa Awards 2010) and runs its St Hubertus restaurant. These are his insider's tips to the beautiful Alta Badia region in Italy: