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“Oil and Butter” Culinary adventures with Cinzia Gilbert www.vistanuova.com

RISOTTO CON ZUCCHINI E FIORI

This recipe serves 6-8 as a first course and 4 as a meal (piatto unico)

Although this recipe is specifically for risotto with zucchini and blossoms, the technique is pretty much universal and can translate to other kinds of risotto.

Equipment: non-stick, round bottomed pan, wooden spoon or other appropriate stirring utensil, medium size sauce pan, ladle

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small red onions–diced
2 cloves garlic—finely diced
8 very small zucchini with their blossoms
2 ½ cups carnarolo or other risotto rice
2 liters of broth (homemade or from good quality cubes)
2 glasses white wine
3 ounces gorgonzola dolce
3 ounces mascarpone
freshly grated black pepper

Slice zucchini and set aside

Remove stamens from flowers; tear the flowers into strips. Set aside

Bring broth to a boil and reduce flame to lowest.

In non-stick sauté pan over medium low heat melt butter with olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until transluscent. Add dry rice to pan and toast briefly—2-3 minutes. Pour in white wine and stir almost constantly until wine is absorbed. Add zucchini slices and sauté for a minute or two. Add a ladle full of broth and cook until it is absorbed, then repeat this process until rice becomes enlarged, slightly creamy and moderately tender (start tasting it at about 15 minutes from addition of the first liquid). The rice is ususally al punto giusto in 18-22 minutes.

Now stir in the gorgonzola, mascarpone, and most of the blossoms. Reserve just a few pieces to decorate the plates. Cover the risotto for a minute or two and serve with a bit of freshly grated black pepper, placing the pieces of blossoms on top of each serving.

Note: If you don’t have a non-stick, round bottomed pan available you can certainly prepare risotto in any good quality sauté pan, but it will require absolutely constant stirring rather than almost constant stirring.

Duration : 0:2:54

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