A blue cheese lover’s dream!
A soupçon of the potent cheese makes the creamy risotto even more luxurious… almost decadent, but not too rich. Just before serving, pan-roasted scallions are stirred in to add a marvelous sweetness to the dish as well as another layer of complexity. As a last touch, the risotto is drizzled with an emerald-colored chive-infused oil.
Risotto doesn’t get any easier – or more gorgeous – than this
As far as risottos go, this one is simple to make, yet it yields a sophisticated, gorgeous dish – one you’ll love stirring… and savoring.
Food & wine pairing: Nebbiolo with blue cheese risotto
A Nebbiolo, especially one with a bit of age (if you have the budget for it), is absolutely marvelous with this risotto. Nebbiolo’s complex flavors and weight pair perfectly with the blue cheese, especially if you choose to make the risotto with Gorgonzola! For a less expensive pairing, I suggest a Lagrein or a Dolcetto d’Alba, two superb reds that also come from the cool regions of Northern Italy. These dark, not overly fruity wines work wonderfully with the blue cheese while balancing the sweetness of the pan-roasted scallions.
Blue cheese risotto with pan-roasted scallions and chive-infused oil
serves 4
active time: 50 min
For the scallions
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 bunches scallions (about 12 scallions) – root ends trimmed, tops trimmed 3″ from the edge and cut on the diagonal in 1/4″ slices (2 1/4 cups)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the risotto
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups spring water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion – skinned and cut in 1/4” pieces
- 2 large garlic cloves – skinned and finely chopped
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup Carnaroli, Vialone Nano or Arborio rice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 oz (85 g) blue cheese (Spanish Cabrales, Bleu d’Auvergne, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cashel Blue…) – coarsely grated or crumbled
- 1 recipe chive-infused oil as garnish
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives as garnish
- Step 1:
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet to medium-high heat. Add the oil and scallions. Toss well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted and golden, tossing only occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Toss again and transfer to a bowl. Set aside until ready to use. - Step 2: In a medium saucepan, combine the stock and spring water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the pot to keep warm.
- Step 3: Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and red onion. Sauté until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until the garlic releases its flavor but does not brown. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine has evaporated and reduced to a syrupy sauce, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice, salt and pepper and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice becomes translucent on the edges.
- Cook’s note: Cook’s note: If you are making this recipe ahead of time, remove pan from heat and keep at room temperature until ready to continue the risotto. When you’re ready to proceed, reheat the rice at medium-high heat and proceed as follows.
- Step 4: Reduce heat to medium/medium-high. Ladle 1 cup of the stock/spring water mixture over the rice and cook, stirring continuously until the liquid is absorbed. You may have to adjust the heat from time to time so that the risotto is always at a fast-simmer, but doesn’t stick to the pot. Add another ladle of broth and continue stirring, repeating the process until all the broth has been almost used up and the rice is creamy but still al dente. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the kind of rice you use and on how fast you’re cooking the risotto. Turn off the heat, add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in the scallions and remove pan from the stove. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Drizzle with a little chive-infused oil, sprinkle with the fresh chives and serve immediately.
This recipe looks way off. Only 4.3 cups of liquid to 7.1 cups of rice???
Hello Marietta, I recently moved my website to a new template/platform and it automatically added a numbered list to the ingredients portion of the recipe. It is a technical issue that I am trying to resolve, but it’s taking some time. So ignore the first number. It only means, ingredient #7 – 1 cup Arborio rice. Thank you for your patience, Viviane
Hello again Marietta, We’ve fixed the issue with the numbered list. Look at the recipe now. It looks a whole lot better! Thanks again for your patience… and enjoy making your risotto!
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