Three Cheese Risotto Recipes

THREE-CHEESE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large, shallow saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and cook for 5-10 mins until soft. Add the risotto rice and cook for 2-3 mins, getting a good covering in the fats and giving the rice a slightly toasted flavour.
• Add the white wine and cook until it has reduced away. Add the warm chicken stock, a ladleful at a time, and stir into the rice - when it has been absorbed, add more. You may not need to add all the stock, but keep adding until the rice is cooked al dente. It will take around 15 mins to get the risotto to the right consistency.
• Take the rice pan off the heat and stir in the cheeses, season and leave to rest for 3-4 mins. Serve with the roasted poussins, morel sauce and some wilted Baby Gem lettuce leaves.

EMERIL'S THREE CHEESE RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a large pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions are slightly soft. Add the stock and garlic.
• Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 6 minutes. Add the rice and simmer for 18 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the mixture is creamy and bubbly. Add the butter, cream, cheese and chives.
• Reseason with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve immediately.

THREE-CHEESE-AND-MUSHROOM QUINOA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cover the dried mushrooms with 1 cup hot water, and set aside until softened, 5 to 10 minutes; drain, and chop, reserving the soaking liquid. Put the butter or oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the shallots and dried and fresh mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shiitakes begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's glossy and coated with butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then add the wine. Stir, letting the liquid bubble away. Add the porcini soaking liquid, being careful not to pour in any sediment.
• Start adding the stock about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle bubble. When the stock is nearly evaporated, add more. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding stock as necessary; the mixture should be neither soupy nor dry.
• Begin tasting the quinoa about 20 minutes after you added it; you want it to be tender but not mushy and to have released some of its starch. Once it reaches that stage, after about 25 minutes, stir in the cheeses, along with a little more butter or oil if you like. Stir until the cheeses melt; taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

THREE CHEESE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the rice, mixing well until the grains are well coated with butter.
• Stir in a small amount of stock and cook gently until it has been absorbed by the rice. Continue adding a little stock at a time, stirring now and then to prevent the rice from sticking to the base of the pan. This should take about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked but not mushy - you may not need all of the stock.
• Stir in the parsley, basil and all three cheeses. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave the rice to rest for 5 minutes. Serve.

NEXT LEVEL THREE-CHEESE RISOTTO

Steps:

• If you want to make the cheese crust, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Season the cheese with the cracked black pepper and scatter evenly over a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake for 8-10 mins or until golden, then set aside to cool. Break into shards. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two days.
• Put the stock and parmesan or grana padano rinds in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Melt one third of the butter in a large, shallow saucepan, add the onion and fry gently over a low heat for 8-10 mins or until soft but still white. If the onions look dry at any point add a touch more butter to the pan.
• Stir the rice into the onions, turn the heat up slightly and cook for 3 mins, stirring until the rice is coated in butter and turns a pearly translucent white. Pour in the wine and stir for about 2 mins until the alcohol has evaporated.
• Add a ladleful of the simmering stock to the rice and stir well until absorbed, then continue the process. The rice should be bubbling gently and each addition should be mostly absorbed before more stock is added. After 15-20 mins the rice should be tender with a slight chalky bite. The overall consistency should be saucy but not sloppy - you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you draw a spoon through it.
• Take the pan off the heat and leave to stand for a minute, then vigorously stir in the remaining butter followed by the mascarpone, gruyère and parmesan, then stir with enough vigour that you hear the rice slapping against the side of the pan. Keep on stirring until the butter and cheese have melted together and the stock is thick and oozing. Serve the risotto ladled into warm bowls, topped with the shards of cheese crust and a drizzle of truffle oil, if using, plus a good grinding of black pepper.

THREE-GRAIN RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat as low as possible to keep the stock warm until you are ready to use it.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive skillet at least 10 inches wide, toast the barley over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Transfer the toasted barley to a small bowl and set aside.
• In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek and garlic and sauté for 1 minute until the leek starts to soften.
• Add the barley and Arborio rice and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, to coat the rice. Add the white wine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the wine is almost absorbed. Ladle 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the hot stock over the rice. Stir frequently until all of the liquid is absorbed and a stirring spoon leaves a trail showing where it ran across the bottom of the pot. Ladle in an additional 1 1/2 cups of liquid and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
• Add the orzo and continue adding stock until the grains are al dente, about 30 minutes total. If you prefer a softer risotto, add more stock until it has the desired consistency. (You might not use all the stock.)
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Parmesan until it is melted and completely incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, topping each portion with a dollop of fresh goat cheese.