no photo, because I ATE IT ALL!
While on one of my weekly browsing sessions at the bookstore, I had a peek at Nigella Lawson's new cookbook, Nigella Express. Being a fan of hot and cheesy food, I jotted down her recipe for cheddar cheese risotto and gave it a try. Her recipe is okay, just barely hitting the spot when one is craving something hot, creamy, and cheesy. But last night, I tried it again, this time loosely following the recipe, and came up with my own, with added broccoli for a veggie boost. This one's heavier on the dijon, since extra flavor is what the original recipe needed. Mr. Aoi proclaimed it "the best risotto you've ever made", which is a heck of an endorsement. And yes, it is a lot like broccoli cheddar rice (or whatever you call it), but the biggest difference is the creaminess you get from the risotto method. And I agree with Nigella when she says that making risotto is a good time to space out in front of the stove for eighteen to twenty minutes.
Broccoli Cheddar Risotto
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 ½ cups risotto rice (or a few ladlefuls, by my method)
½ cup white wine (or beer, which I'm trying next time!)
2 Tbsp (or less/more, to taste) Dijon mustard
5 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
salt and white pepper
1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (or more) chopped frozen broccoli, thawed (just set out on the counter while you're cooking)
In a large nonstick pan, cook the onion in the butter and oil on medium heat until soft (5 minutes or so). Add the rice and cook for a minute or two, until slightly translucent. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir in the wine and mustard. Cook a few minutes until the rice absorbs the wine, then add the stock a ladleful at a time. Keep stirring, then add more stock once the first ladleful is absorbed. Keep cooking this way, stirring constantly until the rice is al dente. Season with a pinch of salt and some white pepper. The stock and the cheese have some salt, so beware of over-seasoning! Add the broccoli about halfway through, with a ladleful of stock. That way the veg gets cooked, but not overdone. Stir in the cheese when the rice is done. If the risotto seems a little gluey, add a little more stock to make it creamy again.
Serves 2 very hungry folks, or 4 sensible eaters.
If you happen to end up with any leftovers (or if you doubled the recipe for some reason), the risotto would make awesome patties the next day. Just use a 1/4 c. measuring cup to make patties, bread them with flour, egg, and panko, then panfry until hot and crisp.
