RISOTTO CARBONARA

RISOTTO CARBONARA image

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

(serves a little more than 2)
1 c. arborio rice (or any short grain risotto rice)
2 c. chicken stock (make sure it's stock, not broth)
1 c. white wine (I recommend a nice oaky chardonnay)
1 small handful freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 slices of pancetta (about 1/4 inch thick)
1 c. peas (frozen is fine as long as it's thawed)
1 egg yolk (if desired for creaminess)
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
Salt & papper to taste (for anyone who hasn't made risotto before be sure to only add this at the END of the process)
A little bit of olive oil or butter for cooking the pancetta

Steps:

1. Add the chicken stock and white wine to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached, back down the heat to just under a boil 2. Chop the pancetta in a rough chop and saute in the olive oil (or butter) until the fat has rendered out. (Be sure that the pan you're cooking in is big enough to hold 3 cups of rice.) Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Reserve the fat in the pan. 3. Depending on how much fat was pulled out of the pancetta, blot the liquid in the pan (if needed) until the bottom of the pan is just covered in liquid. 4. On a medium setting, add the rice to the pan and use a spatula to gently stir the rice in the pan so that the rice can toast in the liquid. Once you smell nuts it's time to move to step 5. 5. Start by adding 1 c. of the simmering stock/wine mixture. Gently stir with the spatula periodically until the rice starts to drink in the liquid. When you start to see the bottom of the pan when you stir, it's time to add more liquid (a half cup at a time from here on out). NOTE: Depending on a lot of factors, your rice may or may not need all 3 cups of liquid. Just keep adding liquid as the previous addition is sucked up by the rice until the liquid is creamy and the rice is al dente (about 20 - 25 minutes). Now it's time for additives. 6. Once the risotto is just about done (meaning the desired texture is reached and it's no longer drinking in moisture at the rate it was before), remove the pan from the heat. (If you're adding the egg yolk, beat it lightly in a bowl and add it in, being sure to stir to incorporate it so it doesn't curdle) Add the parmesan and stir gently to incorporate. Finally, add the cooked pancetta and the thawed peas (the heat of the rice will cook the peas without cooking them to death). Add salt and pepper to taste, add the parsley and plate.