Herbed Risotto

Risotto is a classic Italian rice dish typically served as a first course (primo). It is cooked in a broth and constantly stirred into a creamy consistency. The rice used for risotto is short grain, allowing it to absorb liquid well and release additional starch to make it "sticky."There can be many combinations of ingredients, but the base typically includes rice, wine, broth, and onion. I love a good risotto and have been meaning to cook it for quite some time now. Our herbs have been growing beautifully and this was a simple way to showcase them in a healthy dish.


Herbed Risotto
Recipe from NYTimes.com

Ingredients
7 cups chicken stock
4 garlic cloves, mixed
2 cups chopped fresh herbs (we used everything we have - basil, oregano, thyme, sage, chives)
1/2 large onion (or 1 small onion), diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat chicken stock in a pot over medium-high heat. This broth will eventually be added to the rice, one ladle at a time.

Saute diced onion in a saute pan over medium heat. Add a pinch of kosher salt and cook until onions are translucent. Stir in rice and 3 cloves of garlic until well combined and rice begins to crackle (approximately 2-3 minutes). Pour white wine over the mixture and allow rice to absorb the wine.

Add broth to the rice mixture one ladle at a time. We typically allow the rice to absorb 90% of the broth before adding another ladle. Continue to ladle broth into the rice, stirring constantly for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is soft and plump, but still chewy. Now is the time to do a little taste test and adjust your seasoning accordingly.

Add the last of the minced garlic, chopped herbs, lemon zest and Parmesan to the risotto. Stir and remove from the heat. At this point, your risotto should be creamy and cheesy, with a light lemon flavor.