Directions
Pucker up! This risotto is super-tangy but you'll still want to kiss it, it's so good.
Ingredients
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small to medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese, a couple of handfuls
- 2 tablespoons slivered mint leaves
- A handful basil tops, shredded or torn
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot, heat the stock and 2 cups water over medium low heat.
In a risotto pot or large skillet with a rounded bottom, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to pan and saute to soften 3 to 4 minutes Stir in the rice and add the zest of 1 lemon. Heat the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add in the hot stock, a few ladles at a time, and stir for a minute with each addition, to develop the starch and the creamy aspect. Total cooking time will be about 18 minutes or so. Keep adding stock each time the pan starts to become dry at the edges. While the rice cooks, peel and supreme or section the flesh of a lemon and finely chop. Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon sugar. When rice is cooked to al dente, stir in the butter, lemon sections, juice of 1 lemon, the cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
