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This recipe pre-dates my 5 Ingredients philosophy.
Truffle Risotto
Risotto is the type of food that’s so much better homemade with love rather than restaurant prepared. It has taken me a long time to get comfortable with it and I’m still on the journey to risotto nirvana so am always on the lookout for risotto tips.
Over the years I’ve learned the importance of balancing the heat of your stock and the rice so that it is warm enough for the rice to want to lap up the stock but not so hot that the stock sizzles and evaporates away.
I’ve also read that risotto likes it when you are patient and space out your stock additions, making it almost beg for more moisture. But the most dramatic improvement in my risotto has come from switching from just any old Arborio rice to the more difficult to source Canaroli – definitely worth the extra cash.
My other lesson on risotto is that it always turns out better if you have everything ready to go before you start and then a good bottle of white, or better still Champagne open and someone amusing to chat with while you ladle and stir. As my friend Rhys has said, ‘risotto is at least a 20 minute commitment of your life to stirring so you owe it to yourself to have a decent drink on hand’.
Serves 4-6
6C (1.5L) homemade chicken stock
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
1/4C olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
3 sprigs thyme
300g (1 1/2C) canaroli rice
1C (250mL) dry white wine
75g parmesan cheese, grated
50g unsalted butter, chopped
50g fresh black truffle, or more if you’re feeling cashed up
Extra parmesan to serve
Green salad, to serve
1. Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat oil over a medium heat in another medium saucepan and add onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened but not browned. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Stir in thyme and rice and toss rice through the oil for a few minutes to toast it a little. Add wine and cook stirring until all the wine has been absorbed. Add stock a ladle full at a time stirring constantly between each addition, allowing a small breaks for Champagne sipping.
3. When most of the stock has been absorbed, taste the rice and continue to stir and add stock (or boiling water from the kettle if you run out) until the rice is cooked and just lost its chalkiness. Stir through cheese and butter and finely grate in about half of your truffle (a microplane works well). Season cover and allow to stand off the heat for a couple of minutes while you prepare your salad.
4. Divide risotto between warmed shallow bowls and grate over remaining truffle. Serve immediately with extra parmesan for grating and green salad passed separately.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
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