Green Garlic Scape Risotto
Servings
4
"This light and comforting risotto was inspired by a classic risotto alla milanese in which saffron infuses the broth that is ladled into the rice. I wanted to make a lighter and more earthy risotto to enjoy during the dark days of winter so instead of saffron I used one of my favorite spring delicacies, green garlic scapes to infuse the broth.
The resulting risotto is simple but full of flavor and the gentle green garlic scape flavor in combination with the cheery lemon zest reminds me of warmer days."
Ren Rossini
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter, divided
6 cups broth (veggie or chicken)
-
2 Tbsp of Green Garlic Scapes
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 ½ cup arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 oz grated Parmigiano
Lemon zest
Directions
In a small pot, bring your broth to a rapid simmer. Once simmering, add the green garlic scapes, give a good stir and then turn down to low heat. Maintain this low heat as you cook your risotto.
Place a large pot over medium/low heat and add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, stir in the onions with a big pinch of salt.
Slowly simmer the onions until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Once the onions are soft, turn up the heat to medium and stir in the arborio rice. Continue to stir until the rice starts to smell a little toasty, around 3 minutes.
Turn up the heat to high and add the wine. Stir constantly until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Now is the time to start adding the broth to the rice. Turn the heat on your rice down to medium and give your broth a good stir - most of the scapes will have settled at the bottom but we want these incorporated into the risotto.
Ladle one cup of broth into the rice at a time and allow the liquid to mostly absorb, stirring frequently. The risotto should be gently bubbling as the broth absorbs.
Continue ladling the broth, pausing between each ladle to allow the broth to absorb. The risotto should be thickening and the rice should be getting softer with each ladle.
Continue until your rice is nearly completely cooked. It should be tender with just a little bite, never mushy.
Before you add your last ladle of broth, stir in your parmigiano and your remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Assess the consistency. The risotto will continue to thicken even after it is on the heat, so if it is too thick, add the last ladle of broth and turn off the heat. Stir in about half a lemon of zest (more or less to taste) and adjust the seasoning.
Serve immediately in warm bowls.
Supermarket
Fair Trade