Red Wine Risotto with Roquefort Radicchio and Walnuts

Risotto-Roquefort Radicchio and Toasted Walnuts by Meeta K. Wolff

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 185g radicchio, shredded

  • 1 liter vegetable broth, heated

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 shallots, finely chopped

  • 440g carnaroli rice

  • 50ml dry red wine

  • 100 g Parmesan cheese, grated

  • 120g Roquefort cheese

  • Salt and pepper

  • 45g walnuts, toasted

  • Flat-leaf parsley, chopped - for garnish (optional)

Method:

  1. In a frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, toss in the radicchio and sauté, stirring often, until the edges begin to turn golden - this should take about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Set aside.

  2. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil together, add the chopped shallots and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.

  3. Add the rice and stir until it becomes opaque, which should take about 2 minutes. At this point add the wine and as it bubbles, allow the rice to infuse with the wonderful aroma. Stir constantly, until all of the wine is nearly absorbed, 5-6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add a ladleful of the hot broth mixture, and cook, stirring every now and then, until the liquid is almost fully absorbed. Continue adding the broth, a ladleful at a time until the rice is tender but still slightly firm in the center and creamy. By “massaging” the rice this way you release the creamy starch from the rice giving the dish a fantastic creamy consistency. This whole process takes approx. 15-20 minutes. The rice grains should be soft but still have a slight crunch to them. Now add a bit of salt and pepper, but be careful as the stock is normally salty enough - so please taste before!

  4. Take the pot off the heat and stir through the Parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Mix well and cover. Allow the rice to take on all the flavors - 2 minutes. Giving the risotto this time allows it to unfold it's perfect creamy-moist consistency. Check and adjust seasoning.

  5. Stir in the radicchio, crumble some of the Roquefort cheese over the top and serve in warmed bowls, topping the risotto with the toasted walnuts, more Roquefort if desired and some parsley.

Notes: You can use any dry red wine for this making sure it’s a good one so you can serve it with the meal. I used a fantastic Merlot, which is typically tannic and complex with a core of dark fruits. Some of the flavors and aromas in the wine included dark cherry and stone fruits, which paired well with the bold Roquefort. Alternatively a Pinot Noir would work brilliantly as would a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Malbec.

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