Strawberry Risotto: the unexpected springtime first course

Ingredients

• 360 g of Vialone Nano or Carnaroli rice
• 500 g of fresh strawberries
• 100 g of butter or margarine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 glass of white wine
• Meat or vegetable broth
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or aged vegan cheese)
• Herbs (oregano, marjoram, and parsley, or your preferred ones)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Place half of the butter (or margarine) in the freezer at least two hours in advance if possible.
• In a large pan, sauté the roughly chopped onion with 1/4 of the butter (or margarine) and half a tablespoon of olive oil. Meanwhile, wash and dice the strawberries.
• Once the onion is golden, add 80% of the strawberries, some salt, pepper, and herbs. Cook until most of the water released by the strawberries has evaporated.
• Transfer everything to a container and blend.
• In a risotto pot, melt the remaining butter (or margarine) with one or two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the rice and two pinches of salt and toast the rice (touch it to check if it’s hot enough).
• Make a well in the center of the rice to expose the bottom of the pot and pour the white wine into that spot. Stir the rice and let the wine evaporate.
• Add broth as needed and be careful to prevent the rice from sticking (cooking takes about 12–15 minutes, depending on the rice variety).
• Two minutes before the rice is done (when the white core starts to disappear), add a ladle of hot broth to the strawberry purée, stir, and add it to the rice (raise the heat slightly to avoid thermal shock; alternatively, bring the purée with a ladle of broth to a boil in a separate pot before adding).
• Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and move the pot away from the cooking area to a cooler spot.
• Now whip the risotto in two steps: add the frozen butter (or margarine) and vigorously stir with a spoon to incorporate air. Once the butter is almost melted, add the grated Parmigiano and continue whipping until the liquid turns into a creamy sauce. Keep the risotto soft and wave-like.
• Adjust salt if needed, cover, and let rest for at least one minute.
• Serve on flat plates and garnish with the remaining fresh strawberries.
  

Tips: This risotto can be adapted with seasonal fruits like peaches, blueberries, pears (with gorgonzola), melon, etc. Also, be mindful of the salt: don’t over-salt the broth and remember that the Parmigiano adds a lot of saltiness to the dish.