Artichoke
Spring Risotto (Risotto alla Primavera) – Veneto or Toscana, Primo (First course
- Serves 4
Author Notes
From Veneto (vegetarian) or Toscana (with meat), Primo (First course) Categories: Kids, Vegetarian, Healthy*can substitute butter with olive oil, Dairy Free* substitute butter with olive oil and eliminate the cheese, Season: Spring This recipe is for the version from the Veneto, where the dish is said to have been invented, in Giuseppe Cipriani's restaurant, Harry's Bar, in Venezia (Venice). In Tuscany they also eat risotto primavera but add 50 grams or chopped prosciutto or pancetta when they cook the onion. Both versions are nice. The broth used in making risotto needs to be hot otherwise it increases the cooking time and the correct texture is not achieved. —woo wei-duan
What You'll Need
Ingredients
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1.5 liters
vegetable stock
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700 grams
mixed seasonal vegetables, rinsed and cut 2 cm length or 1 cm cubed (green beans (ends removed), asparagus (woody end removed), zucchini (ends re-moved), artichokes (prepare the heart only), 3 green tomatoes (stem removed), po-tatoes (peeled), lettuce, au
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30 milliliters
extra virgin olive oil
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60 grams
butter
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1
onion, peeled, ends removed and finely chopped
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1
carrot, rinsed, peeled, ends removed and finely chopped
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1
celery rib, washed, strings removed, ends removed, and finely chopped
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5 grams
flat-leaf parsley, washed, dried, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
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80 milliliters
white wine
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350 grams
risotto rice
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150 grams
peas (shelled) and / or broad beans (shelled, and outer skin removed)
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25 grams
(3 tablespoons) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for serving
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Sea salt
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Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Directions
- Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Blanch the vegetables (except the tomato, lettuce, and peas) by grouping them together depending on cooking time (see below) and cook them in the stock until slightly soft.
- This will vary by vegetable: 2 minutes for green beans, asparagus, zucchini, broad beans, and celery; 5 minutes for the artichokes, potatoes, carrots, aubergine, and bell peppers. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl.
- Retain the liquid.
- In a risotto pan or a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil and 30 gms of butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, turn the heat down a bit. (If using pancetta or prosciutto, this can be added now and fried to a crisp.)
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley and sauté until soft but not coloured (15-20 minutes). Turn the heat back up to medium, add the white wine and let it evaporate entirely.
- Add the rice and stir until each grain is evenly coated and it starts to make a squeak-ing sound when you stir (4 to 5 minutes).
- Add enough stock to cover the rice and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Continually stir and keep adding 100 mls of hot stock whenever the rice absorbs all the liquid. Keep enough liquid in the pan and stir continuously so that the rice does not stick to the pan and cooks evenly. The rice should take about 20 minutes to cook in total and should not be dry.
- Add all the vegetables including the peas, 2 minutes before the rice is finished to re-heat.
- Add more broth to finish. The risotto is done when a wooden spoon pulled across the bottom of the pot causes liquid to accumulate in the bottom of the pot.
- Turn the heat off and add 30 gms of butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste.
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