Chianti Risotto tastes like one giant food hug.
Fall of 2013, I was in a whirlwind of excitement and slowly coming down off my travel and culinary cloud after being in Italy for two weeks. I think in all that excitement I failed to post this lovely dish.
I originally created this gorgeous Chianti Risotto for DaVinci Wine . I was one of four very lucky bloggers to join the DaVinci Wine team in Vinci, Italy to learn all about Chianti wine-making. It. Was. Glorious.
Naturally, I had to pair these two ingredients together, making one very cozy and gorgeous looking dish.
This Chianti Risotto is one of those special recipes I reserve for a weekend when everyone is home and gathered in the kitchen. We take turns stirring the risotto, chatting, sipping wine, nibbling on bruschetta and savoring the precious moments together. You can certainly make this on a weeknight (and I do that as well) but it’s such an indulgent and rich dish I love to sit and relish the dish over a long weekend evening.
Risotto is a staple in most Italian kitchens and it’s served in many forms. Which is truly the beauty of risotto. It travels through seasons adapting to a multitude of ingredients, never wearing out its welcome on the dinner table.
I adore the subtle fruitiness of the DaVinci Chianti and I thought it would make a lovely addition to risotto. Top with crispy fried sage, fresh grated parmesan or shaved pecorino and this is comfort food at its most delicious. For a heartier version of this deeply colored risotto, I topped it with a farm fresh fried egg.
Delicious Wishes and Loads of Love,
Karista
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- 1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 1 cup DaVinci Chianti
- 4 -5 cups beef broth, warmed
- Knob of unsalted butter
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6-8 large sage leaves
- Shaved pecorino
- Optional: top each serving with a fried egg
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat add the olive oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking add the shallots and sauté for just a minute or two and then add the rice. Stir the rice for about 2 minutes and then add the cup of DaVinci Chianti and stir until the wine is absorbed.
- Turn the heat down to medium or medium low and stir in 1 cup of the warm beef broth. Simmer until the broth is absorbed, stirring frequently. Repeat this process with about ½ cup of broth at a time and continue to cook until the rice is almost tender.
- Be sure to allow each addition of broth to be absorbed before adding the next. This takes about 20 minutes. When the rice is done, add additional broth if you feel the risotto is too thick. I like a thinner risotto.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and a knob of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest while you prepare the sage leaves and/or fried eggs.
- In a small sauté pan heat some olive oil and when the oil is very hot add the sage leaves, turning them in the oil as they brown. Once crispy, take the pan off the heat and set the fried sage on a paper towel lined plate.
- Place the risotto in individual serving bowls and garnish with a fried sage leave, shaved pecorino, and if you wish, a fried egg.
[…] Today however, I’m talking about risotto! […]