Risotto with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes
4 portions
35mRisotto on its own is a worthy achievement. A flourish of basil and sweet tomato takes it to the next level. I challenge you not to be impressed with yourself.
What you will need
1 Yellow Onion
12oz Cherry Tomatoes
1 bunch Basil
2 Tbsp OIive Oil
1 cup Arborio rice
32 oz. Chicken Stock
5 oz. Grated Parmesan
1 Lemon
(Nutritional facts 198 calories, 6.94 g fat, 23.07 g carbohydrates, 10.8 g protein, 13 mg cholesterol, 12149 mg sodium)How to cook
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Remove the stem tip and slice in half through the stem to root axis. Slice from the top, perpendicular to the sliced stem face without cutting through the root end. Slice again from the top, perpendicular to the previous slice to dice.
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Wash the cherry tomatoes and slice them in half.
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Wash the basil. Pick the leaves and discard the stem. Roll the leaves into a bundle and give them a quick, rough chop.
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Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Add the diced onion. Stir constantly over heat until the onion is tender and translucent.
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Add the rice. Stir constantly over heat to toast the rice. You should notice a faint change in color and aroma after 3 or 4 minutes.
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Stir in just enough broth to get the rice flowing around the pot without sticking to the bottom. This is the beginning of a process you will carry out until the stock is gone and your risotto is complete.
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Stir vigorously, scraping the bottom. Keeping the rice moving as it bubbles away is what builds the characteristic creaminess of a good risotto. When I first learned to make risotto, I was told to never stop stirring. While this may be somewhat overkill, it is far preferable to not stirring enough.
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As the pot dries out, whip in another splash of broth. Continue until you're out of stock, then taste the rice for doneness. The grains should be noticeable, but yield with little resistance. If you run out of stock and the rice is still a little firm, continue with water in place of stock. When the rice is tender, move on to the next steps.
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Toss in the grated parmesan. Whip the gooey parmesan into the tender, creamy risotto.
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Squeeze in the juice. Watch out for those seeds.
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Stir in the halved cherry tomatoes. give them a few minutes to heat up and wilt.
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Add a little salt, some black pepper, maybe another touch of lemon, until you're happy with the balance. Stir in the basil. Risotto is an exercise in balance. The first rule is to keep stirring, but once you can build a creamy base for those perfectly cooked rice grains, the trick is to imbue that textural matrix with just enough salt and acid to tease the palate. When you really nail it, you know, and it becomes something quite moving.
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