Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

 

Risotto is a great side dish, and now that it's becoming more popular it's easy to find in the grocery stores.  Although some people often think Risotto is pasta, it's actually rice.  It comes dry in a box, and chicken stock is added until it has a creamy texture and the rice is al dente.  The key to Risotto is to continuously stir it and to be patient.  It's not always the easiest thing, especially when you're starving, but it will pay off.  The more you stir and the more patient you are with allowing the Risotto to soak up the stock, the better it will be.  

 Risotto is also great because it can be enhanced an indefinite number of ways.  There are so many recipes out there for Risotto, the possibilities are truly endless.  I served our Risotto with steak shish kabobs, so I wanted to keep the Risotto flavor light while also making sure it had enough body to compliment the veggies on the shish kabob.  A good trick is fresh herbs.  They add a wonderful flavor and really give the dish that "homemade" flavor.  This is a great trick for anything that may be "semi homemade." 

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INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 Cup Risotto per two people 

Chicken Stock - the amount could depend so get a big box (at least 38oz) 

1/2 Sweet Onion - diced 

1 Clove Garlic - Roasted

Fresh herbs - Rosemary and Thyme 

1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan - I got the very finely grated kind because it melts easier and more consistently

1Tbs. Butter 

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste - The Parmesan will add a lot of salty flavor, so be aware of this. 

1.  You can roast the garlic a few days ahead of time if you'd like or start it about a half an hour before you are ready to start cooking.  This way, it will have time to cool before you need to get all of the cloves out. 

2.  Begin sauteing the onions in the butter and olive oil, until they become translucent.  On a cutting board, crush the roasted garlic cloves with a sprinkle of coarse salt until it turns to a paste. (I don't have a picture of this, but the best way is to use the side of your knife allowing the salt to help you break down the cloves) 

3.  Add in the garlic clove paste and stir to distribute.  Add in the Risotto and 1/3 cup of chicken stock.  It will work faster if you can heat up the chicken stock in a separate pot so that the temperature stays the same in the pot when adding more.  Stir the Risotto constantly, keeping the mixture at a light simmer.  

4.  When the liquid is almost completely absorbed, add another 1/3 Cup broth until the Risotto is al Dente. 

5.  When the Risotto is almost done, add in the cheese and herbs.  The cheese will thicken it significantly, so you may have to add a bit more stock at this point to thin it out.  

*** I have no idea if this is the best or easiest way to cook Risotto. This is just the way I cook it and it seems to turn out pretty good.