RECIPES - White truffle risotto

by Marcello Muiesan

When I was a kid I never been a big fan of the Autumn, I guess it was because the summer was over and I was going back to School, which I wasn’t a big fun either.

I always though I would have follow my father steps and being a professional footballer but it looks like I followed my grandmother one instead and I became passionate about cooking.

It took me a while but I now understood why Granma was loving it so much.

That little cold breeze, the changing colors, the smell, and the taste of the foods that this season has to offer and the amazing way you can cook them.

Figs, chestnuts, pumpkin, mushrooms, persimmon, and most of all, white truffle.

There are lots of ways you can enjoy it but the best is always the simpler one, that’s why we’re going to cook a risotto today, not in my grandmother way, to be honest, it wasn’t really her best dish, but the way I’ve been tough from some great chefs I had the chance to work with.

Ingredients for serving 4 people.

For the vegetable stock

1.5 lt. of water
1 red onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 courgette
2 celery stalks
1 small bunch of parsley
coarse salt
5 black peppercorns

Wash the vegetables and peel carrots, onions, and potatoes.

Cut them in big pieces, place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.

Add the parsley, 3 pinches of salt, and the black peppercorns.

Cover with a lid and let it stew at moderate heat for about 45 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with salt if necessary and when done sift through a fine sieve.

Keep it warm.

For the risotto

300g of Vialone Nano rice
50g of shallots
80g of grated parmesan
100ml of dry white wine
60g of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Heat a heavy-based pan and melt 30g of butter with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then add the very fine chopped shallot and let it cook slowly for 4/5 minutes till it gets soft and translucent.

Turn the heat to medium and add the rice, let it “toast” stirring continuously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes.

This part is very important because it keeps it from getting mushy.

When well heated pour the wine and let it evaporate till almost gone.

Add a few ladleful of stock, enough to cover the rice, and reduce the heat to medium.

Stir continuously, and add more stock if getting to dry but never too much to over cover it, just enough to keep it moist all the time.

When almost done, add the remaining butter and the parmesan for the “mantecatura”.

This is the part where you also add a bit of salt and pepper if necessary but beware that the parmesan is already quite salty so be gentle as you don’t want to ruin all your hard work.

Take it off the heat and let it rest for a minute before serving.

For the presentation (one portion)

5g white truffle
1 borage flower

Place a ladleful of risotto in the center a flat plate and then beat it from below to make it spread evenly.

Finely shave white truffle on top and put a borage flower in the center to décor.

Wine pairing:

Barolo Cerequio D.O.C.G. – Giacomo Marengo


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