OhMyGoodness, this was delicious! It sounded strange at first, but G assured me that it really was a typical Italian dish - which I doubted, since I'd never heard of it, but I guess three trips to Italy doesn't make me as much of an expert as living in Rome for five years makes him...
Sure enough, when I researched further, it seemed to indeed be an authentic dish.
G challenged me to find and follow a recipe written in Italian, and I must say that I'm pretty happy with the results.
You must try this and I promise, I'll only write in English!
What You Need
2 Tablespoons butter
1 finely diced onion
1 cup arborio rice
5 ounces dry wine (white produces a prettier result, but we prefer red)
4 cups hot broth (chicken, vegetable, miso - whatever you like best)
2 cups sliced strawberries (although reserve a few whole ones for however many plates you're serving, as a garnish)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Gorgonzola works, too!)
2 Tablespoons butter (or heavy cream), cut into small pieces
What You Do
1. Sweat the onion in the 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until water has evaporated (don't let onions or butter brown - the goal is for the onions to be soft).
2. Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes, until every grain is covered in butter.
3. Add the wine. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, stirring frequently to prevent any sticking.
4. Now add the hot broth, a cup at a time. What you'll want to do is add one cup, stir frequently to prevent sticking, then add another cup and repeat the process, but only after the first cup has been pretty much thoroughly absorbed by the rice. You want to make sure the rice is almost dry each time before you add another cupful of broth.
5. When you add your last cupful of broth, add the strawberries.
6. When the rice is again almost dry and still a little firm (al dente), remove your pot from the heat and let it sit for 1 minute.
7. Add your 2 Tablespoons butter pieces and mix until integrated.
8. Mix in the Parmesan cheese.
9. Plate your risotto and garnish with a sliced strawberry on top!
Buon appetito!
Really, this is so easy to make; I don't know why we don't have risotto more often...although we might from now on... I'd love to hear if you try it yourself! Comment here or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.
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