First, there was the dried cherry gastrique, then the pork tenderloin tips; now, let us complete our dinner menu with this simple baked risotto – no standing over a pot and stirring until stuff come together into a creamy, delicious bundle of Italian-style rice goodness.
I flavored my risotto with dried cherries to go with the rest of the dinner, but you could easily substitute ‘shrooms, fresh herbs, olives, or spinach – and add Dijon mustard or tomato sauce as you see fit.
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/4 cup Arborio rice
•1 onion, diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•2 tbsp butter
•1/2 cup dry white wine
(I used white vermouth)
•4 cups chicken stock
•2 tbsp lemon juice
•1/3 cup grated Parmesan
•1/2 cup dried cherries
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce
•Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat your oven to 400º and melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add the onion and garlic, season with a bit of sea salt, then cook for about five minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Add the rice and cook, stirring, for one minute, then add the white wine and season with a bit of sea salt.
Bring to a boil and simmer for about three minutes, until the liquid has been reduced.
Add the chicken stock, cover the pot, and pop into the oven for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Stir in the lemon juice, grated Parmesan, dried cherries and Sherry Peppers Sauce.
Taste, then add more salt or lemon juice if you think it needs it.
Pop back into the oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is rich and creamy. Remove from the oven, stir, and keep warm on the back of the stove until the rest of dinner is ready.
Simple, no?
And not too, too much stirring.
I am thinking of making a batch tonight to go with some chicken piccata, but mebbe I’ll flavor it with sun dried tomatoes and fresh parsley this time…