sam's home cooking: radicchio risotto

Background: Radicchio Risotto

Olive oil
1 ounce pancetta*
½ pound radicchio, coarsely chopped
Salt and black pepper
½ cup onion, chopped
¾ cup Arborio rice
⅓ cup white wine
2½ cups vegetable broth, warmed
1 tablespoon butter
⅛ cup parmesan cheese

Heat medium skillet over medium heat and add a small amount of olive oil and the pancetta. Cook until pancetta releases its fat and begins to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add radicchio with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to coat radicchio with fat and cook until wilted, about 7 minutes.

Heat a medium pot over medium heat and add a small amount of olive oil and the onion. Sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir occasionally until the rice kernels turn translucent. Add wine and stir until it evaporates. Add the broth to rice in ½ cup increments for 10 minutes, stirring regularly to keep maintain a lazy bubble. Adjust heat as necessary.

Add radicchio and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Risotto should be somewhat soupy and not too stiff. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Remove from heat and add butter and parmesan. Cover and let sit for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

*substitutions: May use bacon instead of pancetta, but consider adding spices such as fennel seed, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, white pepper, and others.

Foreground: Smoked Apple Sage Field Roast

Crumbled Field Roast sauteed with broccoli and crimini mushrooms in the bacon grease leftover from the risotto.