Despite fancy name, risotto dish easy to make
As the weather cools, comfort food calls. Risotto is my favorite onedish meal, sophisticated and comforting all at once.
Risotto is a Northern Italian rice dish that uses a high-starch rice like Arborio or Vialone Nano, cooked slowly in broth to release the starch and add creaminess. It can be served as a first course, main or side, or even as an appetizer — leftover risotto makes wonderful arancini.
It may sound fancy, but it’s actually very easy. You begin by sautéing onions, then adding rice and sauteeing it with the onions for a few minutes, before slowly adding broth. The key lies in the stirring, which allows the rice to slowly absorb the broth, a ladle-full at a time.
Spinach and goat Gouda are used in this version, but you can use your favorite leafy vegetable — kale, say, or Swiss chard. I like using goat Gouda or drunken goat cheese because its creamy texture blends nicely with the spinach and rice. It’s also tolerated by many people who have an intolerance to cow dairy. (Of course, you can substitute non-goat cheese in this recipe, too.)
Just before you add the last ladle of broth, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese along with the broth. Cover and let sit for a few minutes. This technique makes for an extra creamy risotto that will please anyone looking for comfort food this fall!
Risotto with Spinach and Goat Gouda
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, divided use
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby spinach, washed
8 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium broth
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups Arborio rice
½ cup white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces goat Gouda, grated
Directions: In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach leaves and cook, tossing, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the spinach and transfer to a bowl.
In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer.
In a large deep sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 1 minute. Then add 1 cup of stock and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed most of the chicken stock, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook the risotto, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and stirring constantly between additions, until the stock is absorbed. The risotto is done when it is creamy and the rice grains are just tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter, cheese, cooked spinach and 1 remaining ladle-full of chicken stock. Cover and let sit 2 minutes. Stir, then serve immediately.
Bibby Gignilliat is the founder of Parties That Cook, a San Franciscobased culinary event company; www. PartiesThatCook.com.