Apple season is one of my favorite times of the year. For me, it isn’t officially fall until I’ve gone apple picking. Apple risotto is on the short list of recipes that I make every year without fail — with a rather long list of constantly rotating new ideas and recipes. Apple risotto may seem like an outside the box idea, but when you think about the savory flavors that apples pair seamlessly with — parmesan, rosemary, pancetta, white wine, balsamic — the concept doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore. In fact, I dare say it’s elementary. Before you go sending in your corrections, I’m well aware that not all of the mentioned ingredients are actually in this recipe, but they do all share a delightful flavor profile, and you could easily add any or all of them to your apple risotto.
Apples are wonderfully versatile, and you’re missing out terribly if you relegate them only to sweet recipes. There’s no doubt that apples are delicious in a quintessential apple pie. In fact I highly recommend that you go apple picking, bring home lots of apples, and make an apple pie; but before you have dessert, make this apple risotto for dinner. The herbal, floral, tart, honey flavors of apple are all brought forward in this recipe. Comforting broth and parmesan round out the sweet savory flavor profile; and creamy arborio rice provides the stage for the humble apple to shine — or should I say the velvety cushion to rest upon.
Risotto
Risotto is a blank canvas. The most sumptuous canvas you can imagine. The foundation of short grain rice held together by a silky, starch-saturated broth can take on any character you wish. Risotto is one of those recipes that has been known to strike fear in the hearts of home cooks — and for the same reasons, that’s known to impress.
A friend of mine once told me that risotto is an art. That the process must be learned at the side of someone who has already spent the time to divine the subtleties of producing the perfect plate of tender grains. Although I agree that many of the steps in making risotto involve recognizing changes in the dish, and are guided by “feeling;” I also believe that armed with the correct insights and descriptions of which signs to look for, that you can confidently approach this art, drawing from the experience of experts.
Ironically, once you’ve mastered the process of making risotto, you’ll find that making ingredient substitutions and additions is remarkably easy. To the point that the recipe suddenly feels like a formula, in which you can choose your base broth, reduction liquid, herbs and aromatics, spices and seasoning, cheese, vegetable or protein, and even the grain, all while following the same process. You guessed it, stay tuned for risotto to become part of the Made-To-Order Recipe Series.
The Process
Choose a medium saucepan that’s easy to maneuver and that has a lid. Bring the broth to a boil. Turn the heat to low — the broth should be steaming, but does not need to be simmering. Keep the broth covered, or you’ll lose a substantial volume over the course of the recipe. As the broth heats up, finish prepping the fresh ingredients.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the shallot, apple, and rosemary until the shallots begin to soften. Add the rice and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the grains are translucent. If any of the ingredients begin to brown, lower the heat to medium-low.
Add 1 cup apple cider. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the cider is almost completely reduced, and only a syrupy glaze remains coating the rice. Add the second cup of cider and reduce again. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
The Art
This is where the art kicks in, and we talk about feeling the process. If you follow the recipe to the letter, you’ll achieve a fantastic risotto, but if you understand a few concepts, then you won’t even have to read the recipe until you’re seasoning the risotto.
- Ladle about 1 cup of hot broth into the rice at a time. The volume of broth does not need to be precise. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. When the risotto is thick, and the consistency between grains is creamy, it is time to add the next cup of broth.
- Stir the risotto thoroughly about every 2 minutes, in order for the grains to cook evenly and so the bottom layer doesn’t burn. As the rice absorbs the broth, and it’s almost time to add more broth, you may need to stir even more often.
- Adjust the temperature as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. If the bottom layer of risotto is sticking and burning within 2 minutes without stirring, the temperature is too high. If the hot broth is not bubbling within 30 seconds of stirring it into the risotto, then the temperature is too low. If you’re using an enameled cast iron dutch oven, it is likely that you can just hold the temperature at medium-low.
- Once you’ve added about half of the broth, it’s time to start seasoning as you go — this allows the seasoning to permeate the risotto more deeply and evenly. With every addition of broth add a large spoonful of parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Once the ingredients are incorporated and the broth between grains begins to thicken, taste the risotto. Consider the doneness of the rice, and the salt level, and how they are evolving with every taste.
- If you do choose to season as you go, add a pinch of salt when toasting the rice, but omit the teaspoon stated in the recipe. Also, be sure to practice a subtle hand. Be aware that additional broth will impart more sodium, and that you can always adjust the seasoning at the end.
The risotto is fully cooked when the rice is tender with no starchy or gritty center, and has the consistency of biting into a stick of gum. The broth between grains should be silky and homogeneous. Expect the risotto to be on the stove for at least 45 minutes. When your risotto is ready, remove it from heat, add the remaining parmesan and butter; and stir until the butter is fully melted and incorporated. Season the risotto with salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away, topped with more parmesan, fresh thyme, or balsamic reduction.
If the risotto rests before serving, or if you are reheating leftovers, it will thicken. Stir in hot water, a little at a time, until the risotto reaches a creamy consistency that spreads slightly on the plate.
Enjoy Yourself
I won’t say that you have to stir the risotto constantly, but you should be stirring every couple of minutes, so don’t wander far from the stove. You do have time to wash a few dishes between stirs, or to work on shredding the parmesan if you’re working from a block. The risotto process may require a high ratio of active time, but the actions are simple, so pour yourself a glass of wine, sip a hot apple cider, or turn the volume up on your favorite playlist, and enjoy the opportunity to slow down and just focus on the pan in front of you.
What You’ll Need
Dutch Oven: A dutch oven is a kitchen work horse. You get the durability and heat retention of cast iron, along with a non-stick enamel coating; and the light cooking surface allows you to monitor the color of fond or caramel. A large dutch oven can do everything that a sauce pot can, and then some, including bread baking, frying, and braising. This Cuisinart model is the best value.
Medium Saucepan: Whether you’re heating up soup, sauce, broth for risotto, or making a small batch of rice, a medium saucepan is a standard part of any kitchen. Time to upgrade your collection: 3-quart Cuisinart Saucepan
Peeler: Sometimes upgrading tools for small tasks that almost feel inconsequential can make a huge difference. Do yourself a favor — throw out whatever peeler you’re using that isn’t this Kuhn Rikon model. When you first hold it, the peeler doesn’t seem like much, but one swipe and you’ll understand. A peeler that actually invested in the blade edge. Who would’ve thought.
Wine Pairings
White
- Skin-Contact Riesling: for its baked apple flavor and engaging texture
- Any Chardonnay: whether it’s oaked and buttery, unoaked and tropical, mineral-driven from Chablis, or Champagne full of brioche flavor
Red
- Gamay: for its floral aroma and light fruit flavors
- Barbera d’Asti: for its dried herb and licorice flavors, and cleansing acidity
Notes
Do not substitute apple juice for apple cider, or the risotto will have an artificial syrupy flavor.
Vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth for a vegetarian version. If using full-sodium broth, omit the salt in step 2 and only season the risotto to taste once the rice is fully cooked.
The risotto pairs well with any cut of pork, especially tenderloin, chops, or shoulder roast. Classic roast chicken, roasted brussels sprouts, or braised cabbage are all great pairings as well.
Garnish the risotto with more parmesan; fresh thyme or chives; toasted pecans or pine nuts; or balsamic reduction.
If the risotto rests before serving, or if you are reheating leftovers, it will thicken. Stir in hot water, a little at a time, until the risotto reaches a creamy consistency that spreads slightly on the plate.
Apple Risotto
Ingredients
- 6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 large Shallot, finely diced (½ cup)
- 2 Apples, peeled, cored and grated, Gala, Fuji or Macintosh (1 ½ cups)
- 2 teaspoons minced Fresh Rosemary
- 2 cups Arborio Rice
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Apple Cider
- 1½ cups finely grated Parmesan Cheese
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add shallot, apple, and rosemary; cook until shallot begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add rice and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until rice turns translucent at edges, about 3 minutes. If ingredients begin to brown, reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add 1 cup apple cider to rice; cook, stirring frequently, until reduced and syrupy. Add remaining 1 cup cider and reduce again.
- Ladle 1 cup hot broth over rice mixture. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low to maintain simmer. Cook, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until broth is mostly absorbed and mixture begins to thicken.
- Repeat step 4 twice more, adjusting temperature to maintain gentle simmer, and stirring frequently. You should now have used about 3 cups of broth. When broth is mostly absorbed, add the fourth cup of broth, and ½ cup parmesan; continue to simmer until broth is absorbed. Add the fifth cup of broth, and ½ cup parmesan; simmer until absorbed.
- Taste the risotto. The rice should have the consistency of biting into a piece of gum, and the mixture between grains of rice should be creamy and homogeneous. If the rice is still firm or starchy, continue cooking, adding ½ cup of broth at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. If you run out of broth, add hot water. Total cook time will be 40-60 minutes.
- When the rice is done cooking, remove from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and ½ cup parmesan; stir until butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Notes
- Do not substitute apple juice for apple cider, or the risotto will have an artificial syrupy flavor.
- Vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth for a vegetarian version. If using full-sodium broth, omit the salt in step 2 and only season the risotto to taste once the rice is fully cooked.
- The risotto pairs well with any cut of pork, especially tenderloin, chops, or shoulder roast. Classic roast chicken, roasted brussels sprouts, or braised cabbage are all great pairings as well.
- Garnish the risotto with more parmesan; fresh thyme or chives; toasted pecans or pine nuts; or balsamic reduction.
- If the risotto rests before serving, or if you are reheating leftovers, it will thicken. Stir in hot water, a little at a time, until the risotto reaches a creamy consistency that spreads slightly on the plate.
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