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Carrot Risotto

April 4th, 2012

Carrot risotto

Everyone around my house has a one track mind right now. The Easter Bunny.

Not Easter. The Easter Bunny.

I’ll be honest- I sort of forgot about the Easter Bunny and all of his many obligations. Uh, the Easter Bunny’s assistant, ahem, might be running behind on helping the Easter Bunny prepare some Easter Baskets.

However, I, uh, I mean the assistant, did have some thoughts about what the Easter Bunny would like to eat.

Ok. Enough about him. I would like to eat this.

I think it would be cute and funny and delicious and seasonal to serve this to my family on Easter too.

Fresh baby carrots cooked into creamy risotto combine for a lovely Spring dish that is amazing all on it’s own, or beautifully compliments seafood or meat.

Carrot Risotto, serves 8
6 cups chicken stock
3 Tbs butter
2 Tb olive oil
1 yellow onion, small diced
2 cups grated carrots
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 Tbs fresh mint, finely juienned
1 Tbs fresh chives, minced
Kosher salt

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and the olive oil together in a large sauté pan.

Add the onion and sweat until tender over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes.

Add the Carrots to the onions, and sweat another 2 minutes.

Add the Arborio rice and cook with the onions and carrots until the rice is translucent on the outside, and opaque in the center- about 3 minutes.

Add the cup of white wine, and using a wooden spoon, stir and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

This is where you begin to add the chicken stock, a cup at a time, to the risotto. (It works best if you have the two simmering pans right next to each other.)

You just keep stirring and stirring. As the stock is cooked into the rice and it begins to dry out, you ladle more in.

Just keep ladling stock in and stirring until the stock is gone and the rice is tender. This usually takes about 20 minutes.

When the rice is tender, remove the risotto from the heat.

Stir in the cheese and then season to taste with Kosher salt.

Add the mint and the chives and stir well.

Dish up with a garnish of shredded parmesan and a sprinkle of herbs. Serve hot.