CAPRESE RISOTTO
Saturdays belong to my grandma, my mom’s mom. We woke up at around noon and go to her house for lunch. She makes these amazing, filled with delicious food and drinks, lunches that were just the absolute best.
Well, back when I was about 10 years old, risotto wasn’t my favorite meal. My grandma made a vegetable risotto every saturday and to be honest I avoided it at all costs. I wanted to eat everything else in the table, the mashed potatoes, the pork, the biscuits, everything. But, since a salad wasn’t in my plans either my parents made me eat the vegetable risotto. I would mix it with anything in my plate to taste it less or try and get away with only having a small portion. Me, as a kid and vegetables did not go well together.
For a few years she changed the risotto for something else and at the time I was kind of glad she did. A few years ago she made it again and since I finally discovered the magic in vegetables and flavors I gave it one more try. Obviously it was amazing! I even had seconds. amazing how much can change it taste and likes and dislikes in a few years right?
Since then, I’ve always wanted to learn how to make the famous saturday lunch risotto. In theory, it’s a hard dish to make, complicated, with many many steps you need to master in order for it to come out as it should. That’s how I saw it at least. Seeing it like that made me fear it for so long. Let me tell you, I was completely wrong. Okay, it does have a bunch of ingredients but I promise you it’s not a hard recipe to make. Plus, you can add the wine you need to the risotto and drink the rest while cooking. ( Make sure to buy a wine you actually like, not just because it’s cheap.)
EQUIPMENT:
Cup Measures: I personally prefer this way of measuring the ingredients. It’s faster and easier.
Bowls: The secret to this recipe is to have everything ready and close by so that adding them is easy and quick. Cut and prepare everything beforehand and place them in small bowls for easy pouring.
Wooden spoon: I prefer wooden spoons when making these kind of recipes because they are big enough to move everything in the pan and they don’t scratch.
Pan: Use a big one. For this recipe I used a pan with around 30cm diameter.
Chopping board: Cut everything up before you start cooking.
Knife: The knife you fell the most comfortable with to chop vegetables.
Spoon: To scoop up cream cheese.
Grater: Use freshly grated parmesan.
TIPS:
The wine: When cooking with wine, we tend to look for the cheapest sometimes boxed wine. I recommend getting a bottle of wine you actually like to drink. The recipe only calls for one cup of wine, so chill the rest and drink it while you are cooking! So, look for a white wine that doesn’t break the bank but you enjoy drinking.
Stirring: The best way to stir risotto is making an 8 shape. this way you make sure all the rice moves around and cooks evenly.
Flavors: Add the flavor you want just after you cook the chopped onions. The rest of the ingredients cook with this flavor! For example, mushrooms, tomato, vegetables, anything you want to add.
Cheese: For this recipe, I used these small mozzarella balls, parmesan and cream cheese. The parmesan and cream cheese combine together give the risotto the consistency you want. I added the mozzarella balls almost in the end and in the middle of the rice to make sure they melt and a few on top just before serving.
Presentation: This, is completely up to you! I added a bit more of basil and a balsamic vinegar glaze to the few mozzarella balls on top. Another idea is adding roasted cherry tomatoes. How? Add a bit of olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the halved cherry tomatoes. Bake them for around 15 to 20 minutes. Add on top of the risotto with a few basil leaves.
Cooking: In theory, you have to constantly stir the risotto for about 15 minutes. I always try a bit a few times until the center of the rice still have a bit of resistance but it’s mostly cooked.
Have fun: Pour yourself a glass of wine, relax and have fun making this delicious recipe!
CAPRESE RISOTTO
Ingredients
- 1 white onion (medium)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 Cup arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine (chardonnay)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 big tbsp cream cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 100 gr mozzarella balls
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Chopp the onion and garlic into small squares.
- Place the pan on medium heat, add butter and olive oil. In another pot, heat the chicken stock.
- Once the butter melts, add onion with a bit of salt. Cook until they start to turn transparent.
- Add garlic, stir. Add tomato paste and stri again to mix well.
- Add rice and stir to cook it until, this too, turns a bit transparent.
- Add wine and let it evaporate. Don't stir.
- Once the wine evaporates almost completely, add a cup of chicken stock. Once this is almost completely absorbed, add another cup. Repeat until you add the 4 cups.
- Once you add the last cup, start stirring in an 8 shape for around 15 minutes. Try a bit of the rice from time to time to make sure you don't over cook it.
- Add salt and pepper. Turn the heat off
- Add parmesan, cream cheese and cover the pan for a few minutes to let the heat melt them.
- Add sliced basil leaves and stir one more tome to incoporate the cheese and basil completely. Add around 50 grs of mozzarella in the middle to melt.
- Place the risotto in a serving dish, add extra mozarella, basil and balsamic glaze.
