The primary lunch of the wine journey to Lombardia final October featured a risotto with radicchio, scamorza, and Bonarda (purple wine). I actually appreciated it and recreated it at residence. An necessary ingredient is the brodo di carne, a blended meat inventory of beef and hen. You would substitute it with vegetable inventory to make this vegetarian and it will nonetheless be scrumptious, however the meat does improve the depth of taste and texture of the risotto. Radicchio is red-colored Italian chicory. In the event you can’t discover it, you’ll be able to substitute with one other kind of chicory, reminiscent of Belgian endive (often known as witlof). Scamorza is a smoked Italian cheese. In the event you can’t discover it, you’ll be able to substitute with one other kind of smoked cheese. Bonarda is a purple wine from Lombardia. In the event you can’t discover it, you’ll be able to substitute with one other kind of purple wine.
Elements
For two-3 servings
- 200 grams (1 cup) risotto rice, reminiscent of carnaroli or arborio
- 100 grams (about 2 cups) chopped radicchio + a bit extra for garnish
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) purple wine, ideally Bonarda
- 75 grams (3 oz) scarmoza, diced
- 750 ml (3 cups) home made Italian meat inventory of hen and beef, with out salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 20 grams (1 1/2 Tbsp) butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- salt and freshly floor black pepper
Directions
Pour the meat inventory right into a pot and produce it nearly to a boil. Maintain it scorching however not fairly boiling.
Warmth 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, low, thick-bottomed pan. Add a minced shallot, and stir over medium warmth till the shallot is translucent.
Add 100 grams of chopped radicchio.
Stir over medium warmth till the the radicchio has wilted considerably. Season with salt.
Add 200 grams risotto rice.
Toast the rice for a few minutes over medium-high warmth.
Deglaze with 120 ml of purple wine. Regulate the warmth such that the wine is boiling gently. Stir till the wine has been absorbed.
When the wine has been absorbed, add a ladle of scorching inventory.
Stir till the inventory has been absorbed, then add one other ladle of inventory. Maintain stirring and including inventory till the rice is al dente, about 16 to 18 minutes.
If you run out of inventory earlier than the rice is cooked to your liking, swap to scorching water. Style whether or not the rice is cooked and all dente: it shouldn’t be exhausting, however not comfortable both.
When the rice is finished, flip the warmth to very low. Add one other lade of scorching inventory, 75 grams of diced scarmoza, and 20 grams of diced chilly butter. Season with freshly floor black pepper.
Flip off the warmth, and stir till the cheese and butter have melted. Style and alter the seasoning with salt and freshly floor black pepper.
Enable the risotto to relaxation for a few minutes.
Serve the risotto on preheated plates, garnished with some uncooked radicchio on prime.
Wine pairing
This pairs nicely with an fruity and fragrant however dry white wine, or a fruity purple wine with low tannins reminiscent of a Bonarda. A tannic purple wine would in all probability conflict with the bitter notes of the radicchio.
