Time: 1 Hour

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 32 oz. Arborio rice
• 64 oz. chicken stock
• 1 bottle dry Chardonnay (or other white wine. It needs to be dry)
• 6 medium vine ripe tomatoes
• 16 oz. shredded Mozzarella
• 8 oz. shredded Parmesan
• Olive oil
• 4 Tbsps. dried oregano
• 1 lemon
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsps. butter
• Fresh basil leaves
• Salt and ground pepper to taste

 

Planning a wedding is a big task. Planning it across two continents, two languages, and two very distinct cultures, is an even bigger task. When my husband and I were married I became keenly aware of all the work and subtle cultural understanding that goes into weddings. The South is steeped in tradition and weddings are no exception. My then fiancé held up like a champ as I navigated him through all the small rituals and nuances that were so important to my family. His small German contingency that came across the Atlantic for the event had never seen anything like it!

To balance it out, we held half the service in English and half in German, a new ritual which my big Southern family struggled through with grace and understanding. Two days after the festivities we were whisked across the Atlantic to repeat the whole ritual in a quaint German village outside of Frankfurt called Seligenstadt, where I got experience my own new wedding rituals.

The whole experience was magical and wonderful but by the end of it, we had both had quite enough Southern and German culture and wanted a change of landscape for our honeymoon. The next day we took off for Rome.

I had been to Italy several times before but had never ventured to its ancient capital. It was a magical experience filled with history, ancient artwork and architecture, and the best Italian food I have eaten in my entire life. I love Italy’s slow approach to cooking. I love the dramatic atmosphere that surrounds it; the walks up centuries old cobblestone streets filled with unique sounds and smells, the family owned restaurants dotting in and out of alleyways with house wine that is better than anything you will ever get at home, and finally the fact that they make you wait for your food. Unlike America’s everything now, rush, rush, rush culture, Italian food is steeped in atmosphere, in time well spent to pause and enjoy the finer things in life with family and friends.

It was during a quiet walk down just such a cobblestone alley that my husband and I discovered this dish. It is basically a caprese salad in risotto form and will quench your desire for one on a cold winter night when the salad itself does not make sense. I have replicated it as best I can from taste memory, jotted down quickly on the back of a napkin when we returned to the hotel. My only request is that when indulging in this dish, do so with respect to the Italian cultural way of life; sit and savor with your family, and let time pass as it will.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dice all six tomatoes and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and liberally cover with salt, pepper and the dried oregano. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and charred on the edges, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

Using a pairing knife, peel your lemon and slice the rind into long, thin strips. Melt the butter on medium-high heat in a small pan (I would highly suggest using a non-stick pan for this!) and add the lemon rind. Sprinkle the sugar on top. Cut your peeled lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the pan as well. Using tongs, candy your lemon rind by tossing it in the sugar and lemon juices until it melds together and forms a caramel crust on the rind. The key to making a successful caramel is to never leave it alone! You must constantly stir it, or in this case, use your tongs to keep the rind moving. Caramel is very easy to burn so do not attempt to complete any other task while you are doing this part. Once a light brown, sticky caramel has formed around the rind, remove from the pan and lay out on parchment paper to cool. Make sure the rind slices are separate from each other or they will clump together in a massive lemon candy as they cool.

Heat 4 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Add the Arborio rice and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes with a wooden spoon. The idea here is to toast the rice before we start to make the risotto. The rice should have a light nutty smell when it is finished.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the first 16 oz. of chicken stock. Stir constantly with your wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed the majority of the stock. Repeat this process, alternating between the wine and chicken stock, until you have worked your way through all the liquid. Never stop stirring. You will be surprised how much liquid this rice will absorb as it cooks. Once finished you should have a pot of smooth, creamy risotto.

Scrape your roasted tomatoes into the pot and stir into the risotto. Stir in your shredded cheeses until everything melts together. Remove from the heat.

To plate, scoop a giant ladleful (or two) of risotto onto your dish. Garnish with the candied lemon rinds, Fresh basil leaves and fresh ground black pepper.

Refill your wine glass, sit down with your family and get lost in the tastes of Italy!

Buon Appetito!

 

Tip: Risotto should not look like rice when it is done!  If you have never made risotto, do not try to make it the consistency of rice. It is meant to be more like a porridge, smooth and creamy, not individual rice granules on your plate.

Do I have to use Arborio rice to make risotto? No! Will it taste better if I do? Yes! A successful risotto requires a medium to long grain rice with a high starch content. Arborio is best but other rice types like white sushi rice or Thai Jasmine rice can be substituted in a pinch.