risotto al limone
the quintessential cheap fancy meal
When I started thinking of recipes to feature for “Cheap Fancy,” risotto was one of my first thoughts. It is frequently served at restaurants for $30+ or so, despite generally being pretty affordable to make. At its core, it is simply creamy rice.
I posted this risotto al limone recipe a while ago on my blog, but I’ve adapted it slightly to be even more affordable.
the full recipe:
Ingredients
½ cup Arborio rice
1 ½ cups Broth or water, heated
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Shallot or ½ white onion, Finely diced
⅓ cup Sherry wine
3 tablespoon Butter, cut into cubes
½ cup Parmesan, fresh grated
¼ cup Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 tbsp Lemon zest
Tools
Small Pot for Broth
Large Pan or Pot for Risotto
Sharp Knife
Cutting Board
Wooden Spoon
Steps
Finely mince a shallot, zest and juice the lemons, and grate the parmesan. Cube the butter into small chunks and place back in the fridge until later.
In a small pot, heat broth or water over medium heat, with a lid on, until steamy.
In a large pot or pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Then, add the shallot and sweat until translucent and soft. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and stir to combine until fragrant.
Next, add the arborio rice to the pan and stir until rice is lightly toasted, being sure not to burn onions. Add the sherry wine and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan and scrape the "fond" (brown bits) off the bottom.
Once the wine has cooked and absorbed and the rice is almost dry, add a ladle-full of the hot water or broth. Stir continuously until the liquid is absorbed. Then, add another ladle.
Repeat this process until the rice is cooked through.
Once rice is cooked, add the lemon juice, the other tablespoon of lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and the cold cubed butter.
Stir vigorously until the butter and cheese are fully emulsified into the risotto. Add salt and pepper and adjust to your liking.
Serve hot and garnish with fresh chives, flaky salt, and any remaining lemon zest.
The keys for good risotto are to continuously stir on a low heat so that the starches release and make a creamy end result.
Adding the butter cold at the end makes it emulsify into the rice, rather than just melt. This makes it creamier!
Feel free to add any proteins or vegetables to this dish as you like.
Arborio rice - Use what you have. Short grain rice is preferred. I have made this with sushi rice and it turned out great.
Sherry wine - To keep it more affordable, substitute the sherry wine with any white wine you have already, or just use water or chicken stock.
Chicken stock - To save even more money, use chicken bouillon or even just water. Be sure to add more salt if you use water.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!