Spinach Cheddar Risotto
I love, love, love risotto and always look for new recipes to try. This recipe is inspired by a cooking class I took in November 2010 at Just Simply Cuisine in Washington, D.C. (justsimplycuisine.com), where we used turkey stock made from a brined Thanksgiving turkey. All the different flavors of the turkey and brining ingredients make this risotto so flavorful. For the past couple of Thanksgivings I’ve brined our turkey and then made turkey stock just so we can have this risotto a few times a year. As with all risottos, the key here is to gradually mix in the hot stock and slowly stir the rice so the risotto comes out creamy and not gummy. – Terry
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable, chicken or turkey stock
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1½ cups arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- salt, pepper
- 1-2 cups white cheddar or cheddar-gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 (10oz) package baby spinach, sautéed in a little olive oil
- flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat turkey stock in a sauce pan and keep at a low simmer.
- In a heavy, wide bottomed pan over medium heat, pour enough olive oil so that it barely coats the bottom surface and until it’s hot but not smoking.
- Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are clear and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, mix in the rice and stir until well coated.
- Add the wine and cook until evaporated.
- Begin to add the warmed stock a couple of ladles (~1 cup) at a time and stirring until liquid is absorbed, turning down the heat as the rice thickens. This process should result in a creamy and tender but not overly soft risotto and should take about twenty minutes or so.
- Taste for doneness… the risotto should be al dente or soft but with a slight bite in the middle. Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheese and spinach. Taste again and add salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with parsley and enjoy.
