Recipes
Red Wine Risotto
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
4 cups homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large or 3 medium shallots, minced
— Kosher salt
1½ cups Vialone Nano or Carnaroli rice
1½ cups dry red wine
¾ cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano- Reggiano, Vella Dry Jack, Estero Gold or similar cheese
— Black pepper in a mill
1 tablespoons snipped chives or chopped Italian parsley
Preparation
Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to very low.
Put 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil into a wide deep saucepan set over medium heat and, when the butter has melted, add the shallots. Cook until very soft and fragrant, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently; do not let the shallot brown.
Season with salt, add the rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the while, until every grain turns milky white.
Increase the heat to high, add the wine and stir until it is nearly completely absorbed.
Add ½ cup of the stock and stir continuously as the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is nearly tender, adjusting the heat as needed so that the stock does not evaporate the moment it hits the pan. Be sure the liquid is fully absorbed before adding more.
When the rice has tripled in size, give it a taste. It is done when it is creamy with just a bit of resistance. It will take from 18 to 25 minutes for the rice to be fully cooked; should you run out of stock, add water to the pan.
Fold in the cheese. Taste, correct for salt and season with several turns of black pepper.
Add the remaining butter and the last of the liquid, stir and, when the butter is melted, ladle into soup plates.
Garnish with chives or parsley and serve immediately.
