Creamy Red Wine Risotto

As I sit in a windowsill of Starbucks on this cold and dreary morning, I am reminded why I so craved risotto the other night. New York is getting chilly, the leaves have turned from green to yellow to crinkly and broken on the ground. People are sporting hats, gloves, mittens and scarves. Dorothy, it isn’t summertime anymore. And so, my stomach has started craving warmer things, things that will soothe my newly chilly soul.

In this new wintery state of mind, I turned to Giada.  I have seen her make a Red Wine Risotto that looks so delicious; if this couldn’t satiate my cravings then I don’t know what would. I have never really made a true risotto before. I knew it would be a little labor intensive but I was ready to try it out.

Red Wine Risotto

4 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

3 tablespoons butter

3 medium sized shallots, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry, red wine

1 cup arborio rice

1/3 cup frozen peas

1-2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted.

Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often.  Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. The risotto should now be partially cooked. Keep adding the broth in small increments and keep stirring so that the rice absorbs it. When you stir, be a little aggressive with the rice. You want to be sure to break up the starches. This will make the risotto have a much creamier consistency. I can’t say exactly how long it will take your risotto to cook. Just keep tasting it. If the rice is soft and smooth then it’s all done. (It took me almost an hour).

Stir in the peas and tomatoes. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

Now I know that this is a long process. It took me forever. My feet were cramping and my arm, oh my arm. It was really sore from stirring. Perhaps this is because I am a kitchen novice. Either way, the finished product was absolutely soul warming. The rice was creamy and delicious. The peas and tomatoes added a really nice texture to the dish. Perhaps the most enjoyable part was the red wine. It added a sweet, tangy, almost smokey flavor. I used a merlot that we had in our apartment but I encourage you to be adventurous with the wine you choose. Just make sure it’s something that you would actually drink.

Risotto is an extremely versatile dish and I think, unfortunately for my waistline, that I will be trying many new versions this winter.

Bon eating, and stay warm!

Ariel