I know, I made the same wrinkled nose look when I read that title, but it is also what intriqued me enough to tear it out of a Martha Stewart Living magazine, many years ago.
I'll admit, it took me awhile to give it a whirl, but once I did, Nate and I were hooked. The creaminess of the rice, paired with the brightness of the citrus....it is really both a lovely and hearty dish. I have made a few tweaks over the years, but it remains a standard in our house on snowy winter nights, when the citrus selections at the stores are so plentiful.
Now, if you have never made risotto, don't let all those rumors scare you away. It is not hard. If you can stir, you can make it. The key is to have your liquid warming and ready in a small pot. You will gradually add the warm liquid (1/2 cup at a time) waiting till the previous has been absorbed before you add another. It typically takes about 20 min. Really, that is the only trick.
So- here is the recipe...
2 large red onions
1 red grapefruit
1 qt low sodium chicken or veggie broth
1 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 cup Aborio rice
1/2 white wine
1-2 Tbls chopped fresh thyme (plus a few sprigs for garnish)
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup grated good Parmesan
salt & pepper
Cut one of the onions crosswise, then into half moons and place into a skillet over medium heat with a little bit of salt and oil. You are caramelizing these guys, so put it on the back burner for the rest of the recipe, but give it a stir now and then. Low and slow till they get soft, sweet and fragrant.
Now, zest half of the grapefruit. Boil a small pot of water and place that zest in the boiling water for 3 minutes, just to take the bitterness out. Remove from the water and place aside.
Cut out all the segments of the grapefruit over a bowl making sure to catch all that juice and squeeze the remaining juice too and set aside.
Take a pot (like the one from the zesting) and fill it with the stock, 1 & 1/2 c water and the reserved juice (put not the segments). Let that come to a simmer.
On to the rice. Heat a large (heavy bottom) pot, pan or dutch oven with the oil. Finely dice the other onion and add it to the pan. Cook about 4-5 min over medium to just soften it. Pour in all the rice. Stir it till every last grain is coated with that glossy onion oil (about 1-2 min). For the first dose of liquid, we want it to absorb the most flavor, so add the wine first. Give it a stir and let all that fragrant wine absorb. Once absorbed, start adding the warm broth/juice mix. 1/2 a cup at a time...waiting till each is absorbed before adding the next. The last few cups take a little longer as those creamy tender grains are getting all saturated with the liquid. This can be the easiest to rush, but resist the temptation to just dump all the rest in.
Once all the liquid has been added, stir in those grapefruit segments and the reserved zest and let it warm 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the butter, salt & pepper to taste, chopped thyme and the Parmesan cheese.
To serve, dish into bowls and top with a good scoop of those caramelized onions, some shaved Parm and a spring of thyme.
Your taste buds will come alive. Woody thyme, creamy cheese & the tang of the citrus. You will be hooked. Although it does dirty some dishes, the ingredients are few and also readily available. Give it a try...you'll surprise yourself on how easy it is.
Bon Appétit
You just can't beat some good treasure hunting to turn a hum-drum day into an awesome one.
