New Food: Radicchio Risotto – My Word with Douglas E. Welch

f you subscribe to my Pinterest page, my @douglaswelch Twitter account or my Google+ feed, you know that I am always finding recipes I want to try. This series, New Food, will highlight some of those finds as we make them for the first time in our own kitchen. Then, I’ll report back to you on the results — for better or worse! — Douglas

Radicchio Risotto

This New Food combines a bit of the old and a bit of the new. We make several different risottos already so when I saw a similar recipe I knew I could simply make our usual Risotto Milanese, sans the saffron, and ad the radicchio. Somehow I just knew that it would all work together even in this modified version and I was right. This is definitely a dish we will make again and it is gives us yet one more risotto variation to add to our Recipes in Rotation.

(View this recipe on Bakespace.com)

Radicchio Risotto

Ingredients

1 head radiccchio
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup white wine

1 quart meat or vegetable broth
1 medium onion
2 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 cups Arborio rice
Salt
Pepper
2 Tblsp butter
1/4 Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In separate sauce pan, heat broth to steaming then turn to low
Finely chop the onion and add to large heavy-bottomed pan along with 2 Tbls of olive oil
Cook over medium-high heat until translucent and soft
Add rice, stir to coat in oil and butter and sauté for a short time (1 min)
Add first 1/2 cup ladle of warm stock to rice
Stir regularly to prevent sticking.
As the rice absorbs each ladle of stock, add 1/2 cup more.
Cook slowly to allow rice to develop a creaminess.

Chop radicchio into strands. Heat 1Tbls olive oil in skillet
Add salt and pepper to taste
Toss with tongs until wilted
Add 1/2 cup white wine
Cook until wine is absorbed an evaporated.

Continue adding stock to risotto in 1/2 cup measures until rice is al dente, with the slightest bit of crunch.
Once rice is done to your taste, remove from heat, stir in butter and parmesan cheese.

Stir radicchio into risotto or simply use tongs to add to the top of plate or bowl.

More risotto information