We have been pretty much non-stop on the go in the beginning of August, including two late nights out in a row this past week. For an introvert who absolutely requires sleep and quiet time to feel normal, it’s been a blessing but also a struggle to socialise so much. Saturday was meant to be the first day I’d have to myself in a long time, and I was really looking forward to it.
Did you guess what happened yet? I woke up with a horrible cold that no amount of apple cider vinegar could abate. Sometimes I think my body manages to fight off illness as long as I keep moving, then when it senses I’m about to relax thinks, “Okay, you’ve got time for all these viruses now. Enjoy!” I assure you I have not. Or maybe this was the universe’s weird way of granting me my wish to stay in bed reading all day.
I did manage to make you some White Risotto over the weekend. Don’t worry, I washed my hands a lot and didn’t sneeze on it. This is a pretty basic risotto recipe, no frills or fancy flavors. I kept it simple because we’re turning the other half of this risotto into something even better next week. But sometimes simple, starchy, and savoury is exactly what you need when you’re feeling under the weather.
Because this is a pretty basic recipe, you’ll want to use the best ingredients you can find, but you know me. If that means Parmesan from a green bottle, I’m still gonna love it. But if you do happen to have some quality Parmesan cheese at your disposal, and you’ve been saving it for something, I’d whip it out here.
I hope you’re all happy and healthy, friends, and I hope you take some time to get into the kitchen and make this White Risotto for yourself because it’s completely awesome.
White Risotto
4 servings
15 minutes
30 minutes
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Ingredients
1 litre chicken stock
3 green onions, white part finely sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
300 grams Arborio rice
150 ml Pinot Grigio
60 grams Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Make sure your chicken stock is hot. If you’re using boxed or canned chicken stock, just bring it to a low simmer. If you’re using stock cubes or concentrate, just mix it up with freshly boiled water right before you start, and it will be hot enough to work with. If you wanted to make this vegetarian, you could also use vegetable stock.
- Add your olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to a large pot and bring to a medium heat. Add your finely chopped green onion and celery and allow it to cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to keep it from browning too much.
- Add your rice to the pot, give it a good stir, and cook for about 2 minutes to toast the rice a bit.
- Add your wine to the pot, and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Then add your stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. You’ll keep doing this for about 20 minutes. It’s a perfect opportunity for day dreaming. Taste your rice to check it’s done. It should be soft but still have a bit of resistance. Not total mush in your mouth, but also not crunchy.
- Add a couple more ladles of stock to the pot to loosen everything up, then add your second tablespoon of butter and your Parmesan cheese. Stir this all together, taste and adjust seasonings if needed, then turn off the heat, put the lid on the pot, and walk away for 2 minutes to let everything settle.
- Serve hot, preferably with some more of that wine you cooked with.
Recipe from Jamie Cooks Italy by Jamie Oliver.
