This risotto has the smell of summer mornings in the vegetable garden when the squash blossoms are still open and fresh, and the herbs are still enjoying the balmy air of the night.
Course First course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword risotto
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 50 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 4people
Ingredients
For the vegetable stock
1.5l(6⅓cups)water
½golden onion
1zucchini
1carrot
1celery stalk
1sprig of parsley
1sprig of thyme
3basil leaves
1small piece of Parmigiano Reggiano rind
1tablespooncoarse salt
For the risotto
40g(3tablespoons)butter
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
2shallots
2anchovy fillets in oil
300g(1⅔cups)Carnaroli rice
140ml(⅔cups)dry white wine
12pumpkin flowers, cleaned and finely sliced (approx. 100 g/3½ oz)
950ml(4cups)vegetable stock, hot
100g(3½oz)fresh goat cheese
50g(½cups)grated Pecorino Romano cheese
fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Start by preparing the stock.
Fill a pot with water, add the herbs, salt, Parmigiano Reggiano rind, and vegetables, and bring to a boil.
When the water boils, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
After this time, strain the stock and keep it warm.
Mince the shallots (if you do not feel to master the knife skills properly, use a cutter, but do not chop it too much or it will become a mush).
Pour the olive oil into a saucepan, add the butter, the minced shallots, the anchovy fillets, and half a teaspoon of salt: the salt will help you to cook the shallots without burning them. Sauté the shallots over low heat until they become translucent and soft. Just a few minutes will be enough.
Add the rice and toast it. Stir it with a wooden spoon into the sautéed shallots and let it toast, always stirring, over medium-low heat, until the rice will be translucent, almost pearly. If you listen carefully to the pot, you will hear it crackle imperceptibly. Another tip to see if the rice is ready is to hold a few grains between your fingers. When they are too hot to handle, they are nicely toasted. Again, a few minutes will be enough.
Pour the white wine over the rice: let it evaporate, stirring with the wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed it.
Now cook the risotto by pouring the hot stock in at least 4 times. Cook the risotto over medium-low heat, stirring often. By doing this, the risotto will become creamier thanks to the starch released by the rice.
Halfway through the cooking, when you have used about half of the hot stock, add the zucchini flowers.
Keep on adding the hot stock to cook the rice. The whole process will take about 15-18 minutes, not more, so remember to taste the risotto every now and then. It will be ready when you feel it soft, but still with a hard soul inside, slightly al dente.
When you have finished the hot stock, or maybe you’ll have just a tiny bit left, and when the rice will be cooked but still al dente, remove the risotto from the heat, add the grated pecorino cheese and the fresh goat cheese, and stir well. This is what we call mantecare, in Italian, which means almost to cream the butter and cheese into the rice. Taste it one last time to see if it still needs a little salt and you are ready to serve it.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
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