Homemade Risotto with truffle oil and parmesan
This summer I've been dreaming of risotto and truffle oil. I can't get enough. I went to a friend's house the other night and she taught me how to make risotto. I took her recipe, along with some guidance from Shauna Niequist in her book Bread and Wine, and made this tonight. It's not an "easy" recipe, as it requires some time (and lots of stirring!), but your house will smell absolutely incredible all evening. I recommend fixing this on a quiet night at home, with a glass of wine and some good music playing.
Ingredients:
Oil (you can use olive oil, but I used a bit of leftover bacon grease from breakfast to give it a little more flavor)
4 cloves garlic
1 onion (I used a small yellow one)
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup of white wine (I skipped this, and just used chicken stock, you can also use red or champagne, anything you have on hand)
6 cups chicken broth (I used some that I make homemade)
Parmesan cheese (as always, fresh is better...I bought a hard block and grated about half a cup)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Start by heating up your chicken stock on low on the stove. It should be warm but not simmering. Chop up the onion. Press the garlic cloves. Did you know that you don't have to peel the garlic before you press it? Game changer! I also like to measure out the rice, so I'm ready to drop it in later. I'm a big fan of using 25 million tiny ramekins to measure everything out beforehand so I'm not rushing around in the moment.
Heat oil on the stove in a heavy pot (I used my dutch oven), just enough to cover the bottom of the pot, until it starts shimmering. Drop in the onions and let them get nice and soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic for another 3 minutes, until the scent is released and they start to brown a little.
Next, throw in your rice. You don't want to rush this step, let all the oil cover the rice, and let it sauté for it a little bit, constantly stirring. Once it's completely covered in the oil, you can slowly start adding in the chicken broth. I kept a glass measuring cup next to me, and would dip it in the broth, then add a little at a time. If you are doing wine, you want to do the cup of that first, then once it absorbs all the wine, you start adding the chicken stock.
For the next 20-30 minutes, you'll keep adding a little bit at a time. You want to balance between the rice drying out and drowning. The whole time it should be simmering. Shauna describes it as having "sinkholes." Where it's not crazy bubbling, but it's not just sitting there either.
Keep adding until all 6 cups have been added and absorbed. You can take tiny breaks from stirring, but don't leave the room. I paused a few times to grate my parmesan, but didn't leave the stove.
Once it's all been absorbed, take a bite and test it. The rice should have a little bite to it, but not be too hard. Similar to when pasta is al dente. If it's not quite ready yet, keep adding more broth until it is.
Now is the fun part. A lot of people like to add mushrooms. I've heard of adding butternut squash, spinach, all kinds of spices...you can get really creative here. For tonight, I kept it pretty simple. I added in some salt and pepper, tasted it. Then I added in the parmesan and stirred until it was melted. Then I added a tiny drizzle of truffle oil, and about a tablespoon of butter. Stir everything in and taste as you go!
That's it! It makes quite a bit, so I'll be sure and update after I've had the leftovers and let you know how that is. Have fun, you master chef!