Recipe of the Week: Risotto alla Milanese with Gorgonzola Cheese and Swiss Chard
You can feel the bursting flavor of Milano when you prepare this classic dish. I have to confess that my first attempt at preparing risotto was a terrible disaster! I was just married and I didn’t take into consideration the fact the rice expands when cooked. I ended up with enough rice to feed an army and enough sauce for only two portions. Serves eight.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for finishing risotto
2 cups Swiss chard, chopped
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet. Cook Swiss chard and shallot until transparent. Add rice and saffron. Stir until coated, about two minutes. Add wine, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until it evaporates.
Slowly add 1/2 cup of stock at a time while stirring. Always keep the rice moist. Cook the rice for 25 minutes over medium heat. Five minutes before the rice is finished cooking, stop adding the broth to allow the rice to absorb the liquid.
At the end of the cooking time when the risotto is “al dente,” stir in butter, salt and white pepper. Place rice in buttered serving dish, sprinkle with Parmigiano and Gorgonzola cheeses and serve immediately.