Serves a Crowd

Corn Risotto Garnished with Bacon & Anchovy Sage Leaf Bite

August 17, 2010
5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I used to make the creamiest corn risotto that was loaded with cheese and cream, but now I have a son that is allergic to dairy, so I converted it to this recipe which I add cheese at the end. The Anchovy Sage Leaf Bites came from an elderly client that would get her hair done every Wednesday in the morning to prepare for her afternoon card game with the ladies. All that they would eat are these Sage Bites with several pitchers of Martinis. This delicious salty sage crisp accompanies the creamy sweetness of the corn perfectly, but it is just as good with just the bacon sprinkled on top. These sage bites are just a fun surprise. —MyCommunalTable

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Corn Risotto
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup Chardonney
  • 2 ears of fresh corn, cut from cob
  • 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 strips of bacon, cooked crispy, chopped
  • Romano cheese, grated
  • Anchovy Sage Bite
  • anchovy
  • sage leaf
  • rice flour
  • pepper
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • canola oil
Directions
  1. Corn Risotto
  2. Bring chicken stock to boil in saucepan and keep simmering while cooking risotto.
  3. In another sauce pan, heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions until translucent.
  4. Add rice and stir until opaque. About 1 minute. Add wine to rice, stir until absorbed.
  5. Add chicken broth one ladle at a time. After each ladle is absorbed, add another. Stir constantly. I prefer to have the rest of the bottle of Chardonnay next to me, keeping my wine glass filled during my risotto stirring. My favorite way to make risotto.
  6. When you have about 1 cup of chicken stock left, add remaining stock, corn, and sage.
  7. When absorbed, finished with butter, salt, and pepper. Add cheese if you please Note: be careful with salt, if you are going to add bacon, cheese, and/or sage bites.
  8. Serve and garnish with bacon and Anchovy Sage Bite for fun.
  1. Anchovy Sage Bite
  2. Mash anchovies in dish. Approx. 1/2 anchovy per sage leaf. You can make one or a dozen. Spread on one side of leaf.
  3. Roll leaf in rice flour with pepper. Shake off excess.
  4. Dip leaf in beaten egg.
  5. Place egged leaf in canola oil that has been heating in a sauce pan.
  6. Brown, drain and serve. I like to use them for garnish.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • whym
    whym
  • joycew
    joycew
  • VanessaS
    VanessaS
  • drbabs
    drbabs
  • Lizthechef
    Lizthechef

24 Reviews

whym February 18, 2024
Wow, this was incredible!! I made it for my family tonight & everyone absolutely loved it. The corn risotto was creamy and delicious, and the anchovy-sage bites were a total hit. I'm already brainstorming ways I could incorporate them into other dishes! Thank you for sharing, this recipe is definitely going into my weeknight rotation.
 
joycew August 4, 2012
i made this yesterday for dinner...delicious. it made way more than 2 can eat at one meal. does anyone know if this can be frozen? i'm thinking of risotto cakes with sauteed scallops.
 
VanessaS July 31, 2011
The combination of sage and anchovy sounds really good. Love the story of the sage bites, too!
 
MyCommunalTable July 31, 2011
Thanks, VanessaS. It has become a stable in my recipe file.
 
drbabs February 6, 2011
I just made this-- I added roasted garlic and crabmeat (instead of bacon), and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice instead of cheese. It was great! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
 
MyCommunalTable February 6, 2011
I love your changes. My son is allergic to shellfishas well, so I do not use it much.I actually miss it. I really like the idea of using the lemon at the end. Did you make the sage bites? thanks for the feedback.
 
drbabs February 6, 2011
Poor baby--shellfish and dairy! That's challenging! I didn't make the sage bites--my sage is buried under a foot of snow! In fact, I don't have dried sage (don't really like it--only like fresh) so I used dried thyme instead.
 
MyCommunalTable February 6, 2011
Shellfish, dairy, eggs, all tree nuts, and peanuts. Deathly allergic. He also has a ton enviromental allergies as well. It sure makes it challenging. I just wish he could have either dairy or eggs. I like the idea of having the thyme with the crab... btw.
 
drbabs February 6, 2011
Are these allergies that he can grow out of? It must be really hard--to love food and cooking as much as you do and to have to watch him so carefully.
 
MyCommunalTable February 6, 2011
They say he will grow out of most of them. I am actually so grateful that I like cooking and have so much know how because he has to have everything made from scratch. I know another mom of an allergic kid that has no idea how to cook and she is so lost and has no confidence after she has made mistakes that has caused her child reactions. I am more and more convinced that cooking is a necessary life skill in taking care of yourself and your family.
 
Lizthechef August 23, 2010
How did I miss this? It looks delicious. And I love your headnote...
 
MyCommunalTable August 23, 2010
Thanks Liz!
 
MyCommunalTable August 23, 2010
or should I say, Elizabeth
 
SallyCan August 18, 2010
What a great combination of flavors and textures!
 
MyCommunalTable August 18, 2010
Hey, thanks SallyCan!
 
SallyCan August 18, 2010
Love the story and the photo, too, with the way it's cropped, and with the old-fashioned dish and the tile background...are they tiles? a counter or a table? Anyway, they are reminescent of another time and place...beautiful!
 
MyCommunalTable August 18, 2010
The dish in the picture is from a set that I inheritated from my great great grandmother. I actually use them quite a bit. I come from the philosophy if you have it use it. Life is too short. An antique Austrian leather dining room chair is what I set the dish on for the photo. They are from my grandmother on the other side of the family. She was an amazing cook and loved to entertain. A lot of people served and seated around the family table in those two things. Lots of love...
 
SallyCan August 19, 2010
Ho wonderful! Thanks for sharing...
 
dymnyno August 18, 2010
Sounds great! The sage bites sound unique and would be great with martinis!
 
MyCommunalTable August 18, 2010
I have had nothing like them before. I have made them as an amuse bouche with martinis before the Thanksgiving feast. Endless possiblities.
 
TheWimpyVegetarian August 17, 2010
I love this!! And the sage bites are such a cool idea. Little packages of flavor explosions.
 
MyCommunalTable August 17, 2010
The sage bites are so fun to throw on a ton of different stuff. Love them. Thanks!
 
Sagegreen August 17, 2010
I just made a dish with lima beans, sage and anchovy. This looks even more appetizing. Great story, too. Thanks.
 
MyCommunalTable August 17, 2010
I love sage in recipes. Yours sounds great. Thanks.