Radicchio Risotto (serves 4)
Adapted From Sugar Loves Spices & Archer Roose
This recipe is almost identical to our Wiley rosé and radicchio risotto, but this time we paired our Nebbiolo and used a specialty cheese from Point Reyes with spicy notes and umami and nutty flavors. We loved this version for its earthiness and notes of chocolate.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 small cipolline onion (70 g), minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium radicchio, chopped
1 c. arborio (or carnaroli) rice
1 c. wine (I used our Nebbiolo)
4 c. vegetable stock, heated to simmer
Salt & Pepper
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
5 oz. Italian melting cheese (we went with TomaRashi this time!), cubed
Part 1:
Prep all ingredients:
Wash and chop the radicchio.
Mince garlic and onion.
Grate and cube the cheeses.
Heat vegetable stock in a sauce pan to simmer.
Then, in a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter on medium-low. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent (3-4 minutes), seasoning with salt and pepper.
Increase the heat to medium and add the chopped radicchio. Stir regularly to cook the radicchio until soft. The color will change from vibrant red to a brown-ish color. (Stove temperature may vary based on your equipment.) Season with salt and pepper.
Turn up the heat to medium-high. Then, add rice. Stir constantly to flavor and toast the rice for 1-2 minutes with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.
Add the wine and stir, cooking until most of the wine is evaporated.
Part 2:
Slowly add the simmering vegetable stock to the pan, one or two ladles at a time. You want to keep the rice at a simmer, so adjust your heat accordingly. Each time you add the liquid, stir and cook until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Continue this process, adding the next ladle (or two) when the previous one is completely absorbed. This should take around 20 minutes, depending on your stove and rice, maybe a little less.
When the rice is al dente add the last ladle of stock so that there is a little bit of liquid visible. It should look a bit soupy.
At this stage, remove from heat and stir in both cheeses until they’ve melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Let the risotto sit for 3-ish minutes, without stirring, so that the rice finishes cooking and the liquid is absorbed.
To Finish:
Portion into bowls and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Pour yourself a glass of wine, maybe invite someone to keep you company in the kitchen because the best, creamiest risotto comes from taking your time. Waiting for the stock to be completely absorbed before adding more, usually between 3-5 minutes each time, will result in the best final product, and your kitchen will smell amazing, too.
Notes from Our Kitchen:
This is the same recipe as we posted with the Wiley Vineyard Rosé but this time we leaned into the earthy flavors and more intense color of our Dragon Vineyard Nebbiolo.
I also did a slightly larger cut on the radicchio, the end result being more texture in the final dish.
As before, you will find a range of “total time” for similar recipes around the internet. It takes me an hour if I am being efficient, so if you see a recipe that says something under 30 minutes, be warned.
Because the main part of the risotto is just watching and stirring, this is one of those recipes that doing the prep work before you start cooking anything is really important.
I make my own vegetable stock with kitchen scraps but unfortunately, the end of the radicchio just has to go in the compost because the bitterness will change the profile of your stock in a way that you probably won’t like.
Chris spotted a variation on the Toma by Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. that we used, this one with some heat! We were big fans so you are encouraged to play around with your cheeses!
