SIDE DISHES / July 14, 2015

THE CREAMIEST RISOTTO

I have a new plan.

I want to start adding more unique recipes to ALF, mostly recipes that I have not tried before.

And we start with this: the creamiest dreamiest most delicious risotto (made by AU himself).

risotto-1

Is that kind of wrong that I started this with “I want to make more recipes that I haven’t made before” and then I tell you that AU made it?

Eh maybe.

But I did help and lend an arm, literally. This dish needs a constant stirrer. And I must also tell you that this should be a weekend recipe. Why? Because you literally need to stir it until it is cooked.

Now don’t think that means this is difficult, because it is actually a super easy side dish.

And when I say side dish I mean that The Creamiest Risotto, right here, was our side dish but it is literally so fantastic it could stand alone.

risotto-2

I guess I was slightly uninformed as to what risotto was. Did you know that it is just rice? To be more clear it is Arborio rice. It is a short grain rice that you cook in tons of chicken stock. It cooks slowly and carefully in a warm chicken stock bath and as it cooks it becomes plump, soft, and creamy.

This recipe is so simple I can hardly stand it. There is no butter in this recipe, BUT as I shove it into my mouth all I can think is that there HAS TO BE a little pad of butter in it.

I kid you not however, this risotto became creamy without dairy products. And that my friends is pretty cool.

I believe the creaminess comes from the starch in the rice that cooks into the chicken stock and bacon (YES THERE IS BACON IN THERE) or at least that is what AU told me when I asked him, he knows everything.

risotto-3

I am going to have to say that this is the best side dish on ALF by far. I love rice but I did not know that the love for risotto would be my new favorite thing. If there is one thing you do this summer, it needs to be that you make this risotto.

Also who doesn’t love a little food with a little wine, am I right?

This has a few droplets of white wine in it, but you’re not complaining. I just know it. Because neither am I.

risotto-4

THE CREAMIEST RISOTTO

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 strips of bacon
1/2 cup sweet yellow onion chopped finely
5 cups no salt added chicken stock
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
S&P
Parsley flakes for garnish

Instructions

Chop or cut the bacon into 1" pieces. Chop the onion finely.
Heat the olive oil and bacon in a medium large pot over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is brown, stirring occasionally.
Toss in the chopped onion. Sautee on medium low heat until they start to brown. While onions are browning heat chicken stock over medium low heat in another pot (it needs to be hot).
Add the rice to the onion and bacon mixture. Cook for 2 minutes in the oil over medium heat. Pour in 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock, stir with a wooden spoon. When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice add the second 1/2 cup of hot chicken stock in. Keep stirring.
Continue the process of adding 1/2 cup of hot chicken stock to the rice and continuously stirring until the liquid is absorbed.
Once all of the chicken stock is absorbed, pour in the white wine. Mix together and let it absorb as well.
Season with salt & pepper and serve.
Garnish with parsley.