So today's recipe was a three-cheese risotto. We went to St. Lawrence market yesterday to shop for groceries and I gathered all the ingredients needed. Have I told you guys I love shopping at St. Lawrence? It's just an amazing place to shop! You can find anything there! The recipe called for arborio rice, and St. Lawrence has a rice only shop! Any type of rice that you need, they'll have it. I was honestly thinking I was not going to find the rice because it's a special type of italian rice, but they had dozens of different types. And it was sooooo cheap! I was expecting to pay the big bucks for it, but it was just a little over a dollar for the kilo! I bought 2 kilos for $2.24!!!! How cheap is that?
Since the rice was cheap, I decided I could spend a little bit more on the cheeses. So I got 3 different types: classic Parmesan from Italy, a cheese called Maasdam from Holland, and something called Romano from Quebec, which was a mix of cow cheese and goat cheese. I have never enjoyed goat cheese, but it must be the mix with cow cheese that made this taste absolutely delicious.
Every time I have mentioned the word risotto to my mother she always says that when you're making risotto, you have to prepare all the ingredients before you start and once you start, you never stop. Not even if your best friend calls you with the juiciest gossip story, you never answer! LOL... So that's what I did. I prepared all the ingredients and laid them all out on the counter, measured and everything, ready to be added to the pan. So you chop the onions, grade the cheese, pour the wine, measure the rice, and make the broth. Leave it all ready at arm's length and start cooking.
Melt the butter and the onions. Sweat the onions, but don't let either the butter or the onions turn brown. Then you add the rice, all of it at once, stir immediately and continue stirring until the grains look translucent. Then you add the wine, and add the broth slowly and in parts as needed. You can buy meat broth, or chicken broth whatever your taste is, or you can use those knor cubes and make your own broth which I like better cause I hate anything that comes in a can. I used meat knor cubes, and it's easy, just boil some water and melt the cubes in a bowl. Once you've added all the broth, add salt and pepper and stop stirring and let it cook, uncovered. Cook it for about 12 or 15 minutes and then turn it off. Add the graded cheese and stir and cover the pan and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes and it's ready to serve.
It was super easy to make, and it took about an hour including prep time and cleaning up.
I served it alone, but my roommate had cooked some veggies. But risotto is so filling that it calls for nothing else with it. So I served it, and let me tell you, it was delicious! I was surprised because this was the first time I ever cooked a risotto, I had never even seen my mom make them, but I was impressed at how easy it was and how delicious it was. The wine definitely makes a big different and it brings out the flavor of all the different cheeses. You can taste every single type of cheese separately, it was so good! I made so much we got enough for another meal, which I'm sure will be gone pretty soon. The only thing I would do differently in this recipe would be to add some pancetta to it next time and maybe some fresh rosemary leaves on top to serve. I love rosemary leaves, but I didn't have any fresh ones. I sprinkled some dried rosemary leaves on top to bring out the flavor! Delicious!!!!! Til next time!
Here's some pics and the full recipe. Enjoy!
Three-cheese Risotto
2 1/4 cups arborio rice, 1/4 cup butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup white wine, 5- 5 1/2 cups meat broth, salt
2/3 cup each cheese
Heat 4 teaspoons of butter and sweat the onions without letting it brown
Pour rice all at once and stir constantly until grains are translucent
Pour the wine and continue stirring
Pour the broth slowly and in parts as it is absorbed
Salt the risotto and let it cook for another 12-15 minutes
Turn off heat, add the cheese and cover the pan and let it sit for a while
