Ingredients:
· 2 pints Aneto Vegetable Broth (1 container)
· 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
· 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
· 3 tablespoons butter
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· Freshly ground salt and pepper
· 1 tablespoon Wild Thyme Flowers, finely chopped (remove stems)
· 16 oz Campanini Arborio Rice (1 box)
· 1 cup dry white wine, or vermouth
· 2 tablespoons Di Bruno Bros. Black Truffle Cream
· ½ cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese + shavings for topping
· ½ teaspoon Sabatino Truffle Sea Salt
· 1 lemon, cut into wedges
· ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
Equipment:
· Large, high-sided, flat sauté pan, at least 10” in diameter
· Small-medium saucepan
· Paddle spatula, preferably wooden
· Ladle, or ½ cup measuring cup
· Chef’s knife
· Cutting board
· Cheese grater
· Cheese slicer
Directions
- Warm your stock. Pour the vegetable broth into the saucepan over medium heat – this helps the risotto come together faster.
- Prepare your ingredients. While the broth is heating, chop your onion and garlic into two separate mounds. Place the large sauté pan onto the burner, over low-medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, garlic, and some ground salt. Cook the onion, stirring often so it doesn’t burn, until fragrant and beginning to soften – about 5-10 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the thyme flowers and cook for 2 minutes. Then, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the rice. Stir to combine.
- Toast the rice. The rice will begin to lightly fry – you must keep stirring it otherwise it will stick and burn! After a few minutes the edges of the rice will look slightly translucent. You are not browning the rice here – if there is too much color, turn down the heat a little and add a small nip of oil. Sauté the rice until the edges are translucent, but the center of the grain is still opaque – always stirring! About 5 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan. Add the wine to the pan, resulting in a big puff of steam. Continue to stir it into the rice and scrape up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer while you stir until it has completely reduced, and the pan is nearly dry – about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broth – and stir! Turn the heat down on your sauté pan to low-medium, and slowly add the hot vegetable broth, one ladle (or ½ cup) at a time. Stir the broth into the rice each time, slowly massaging the starch out of the rice. This is what makes risotto so creamy and what makes it a true labor of love. The rice will begin to swell more and more after each ladle. Make sure each ladleful is fully absorbed into the rice mixture before you add the next round. About 15-20 minutes. Do not rush this step! If you find you are going through your broth too quickly, turn the heat down and reduce the amount of broth per ladle. If you run out, it is ok to use hot water instead – but not too much otherwise you risk overcooking the rice.
- Taste and check. Begin tasting the rice after about 15 minutes of cooking to gauge its progress. When it’s finished, the rice should be al dente, have a slight bite at the very center and be surrounded by lovely creamy sauce. If it is not at this stage, continue adding the broth ladle by ladle. This is a good time to add your seasonings too, so they are not lost in the dish from the beginning, but rather enhance the dish at the end. Add 2 tablespoons of the Black Truffle Cream and stir until combined. Check the seasoning carefully – add a few turns of freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of Truffle Sea Salt to bring out the delicious flavors of the dish.
- When the rice has fully cooked and become risotto, remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese. Place the lid on the pan and let sit for 2 minutes. This step is the most important! It allows the mixture to become even creamier and delicious. Take the lid off the pan and stir to combine. If the mixture seems a too sticky and starchy, add ½ cup of heavy cream to loosen the mixture and provide more ooze. Serve immediately to retain the delicious texture! Top with shaved Gruyere cheese and a wedge of lemon to brighten the flavors.
Tips & Notes
- If you are adding additional vegetables or proteins to your risotto (such as mushrooms or shrimp), par-cook them in the sauté pan before adding the onions and garlic, then set them aside. Add them back into the full mixture further on, with your second-to-last ladle full of broth. This will allow them to finish cooking while incorporating nicely with the other flavors as the mixture is in its final stage.
- Chop the onions and garlic and grate the cheese ahead of cooking so you can fully focus on the risotto.
- If you toast the rice too quickly and the edges brown, the grains seal themselves off faster and will take longer to absorb all the broth.
- If you do not toast the rice long enough, the edges will not soften enough to allow the starch to be released and the broth to be absorbed as easily.
- The best way to reheat risotto is on the stove in a sauté pan with a ladle full of broth and a touch of cream. Turn to medium-high heat for 3 minutes to warm throughout, then mix in the liquids to combine. Mixture should slightly spread and puddle when spooned onto a plate or into a bowl.
