Monday 31 October 2011

Surely You Zest!

Risotto con i Cardi, Pomodorini & Scorza di Arancia
Risotto with Cardoons, Cherry Tomatoes & Orange Zest


Here we go with my second cardoon recipe- but fear not- I have one more to come either tomorrow or the day after! They ARE very delicious- but they also tend to be rather large and a lot to get through if you are cooking for one! To make this risotto, I used about a handful of the leftover boiled cardoons from last night- which made this into a very quick, simple and delicious dinner tonight!

Finely chop a small onion and a clove of garlic and sautée them in a little butter. Add the rice and stir so that it all gets nicely coated in the butter. Turn up the heat and de- glaze the saucepan with a good splash of white wine... mmm!

Keep stirring until the wine has completely evaporated and then add a good cupful of milk to the rice. Season with salt and pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg.  Keep stirring and topping up the liquid as required, using a light chicken broth now, a ladle at a time as is the usual way with risotto...


When the rice is nearly done, add the chopped cherry tomatoes and a good tablespoonful of grated orange zest... and keep stirring! We are almost there now- all we need to do is add a drizzle of olive oil and a handful of grated Parmesan and to stir it all together, so that it becomes thick, creamy and delicious... mmm!

Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan, a little orange zest, some ground chili and a couple of basil leaves- and enjoy the mild Artichoke flavor of the cardoons in a whole new way- buon apetito!



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