by Sarah Steimer
I paired this risotto with an asparagus-Gruyere tart. The mint in this dish may seem odd for a risotto, but it's balanced very nicely with the salty pork chorizo. And one last thing - this picture doesn't do it justice. It looks dry here only because it's the leftover batch. Straight from the pan it was perfectly creamy.
- 2 1/2 cups chopped leeks (about three leeks using mainly the white and light green parts)
- 1 cup aborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4-5 cups hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 1/4 cup finely diced chorizo, if you can find the cured version. If not, use one chorizo sausage and remove from its casing. Cook as you would ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 2 cups blanched fresh OR frozen peas
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
Begin heating the stock on the stove.
In the meantime, puree 1 cup of peas (ONLY ONE), lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper. Pulse in a food processor until it resembles a pesto. Set aside.
Add the oil and butter to a large pan with high sides. Allow the butter to melt before adding the leeks. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the leeks have wilted and the white parts are translucent. Add the rice and stir for about one minute, so the butter and oil coats the rice. Add the white wine and simmer for until the liquid is absorbed.
Add the hot stock to the pan one cup at a time, waiting to add the next cup once the first is absorbed. Repeat either until all the stock is used or the rice reaches your desired consistency. I used a little less than four cups.
Turn off the heat and add the pea-mint puree, cheese, chorizo and additional salt and pepper, if desired. Stir until fully combined. Serve warm with additional shredded cheese.
Makes four to six servings.
Recipe adapted from: Feasting at Home
So hungry I could blog 