Risotto with Savoy cabbage and anchovies.

Today I chose to celebrate cabbage: I love them and I am always happy when they start to pop up at the grocery store. So colourful and tasty. Besides they are good for us and packed with real benefits for our health.

For this risotto recipe, I picked up some purple Savoy cabbage and decided to marry it with some anchovies. In Italy we made it quite often.

To start, let’s prepare some fresh vegetable stock.

For the recipe, please click here:

http://bacididamaglutenfree.com/en/portfolio/gluten-free-vegetarian-stock/

For the rice, I went for the Vialone nano, to me the best variety to cook a good risotto.

STEP 1

Let’s clean the Savoy cabbage and cut it in very thin slices. Cook it a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Once ready drain all the water and put it aside. When it has cooled down, chop it in small pieces.

Cut the butter in small cubes and put it in the fridge. It has to be cold when you add it to the rice.

Grate the parmigiano reggiano.

STEP 2

Take a large pot. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the onion. Put the pot over low heat. When the onion turns golden brown, add the rice and turn the heat on medium. Let the rice toast for a couple of minutes stirring it constantly.

Add the white wine. Once evaporated, add the stock. The stock has to cover the rice – no need to add more. Add the Savoy cabbage and the anchovies. They will melt and cook with the rice making it more tasty and creamy.

Turn the heat on low. Taste it to see if you need more salt; most of the anchovies we find in a glass jar for example are already salted so you might not need to add more.

STEP 3

Cooking a risotto requires some patience and time. You need to stir it from time to time, very gently, and check that it does not stick to the pot. You need to add the stock little by little until the rice is cooked the way you like it and stock is absorbed.

I can’t tell you how much stock you will need, you just need to befriend your rice and get to taste it until it is ready.

It has not to get too sticky or too liquid, the right consistency is creamy or as we say it in Italian “all’onda”. “All’onda” means that you can create waves with the risotto when you stir it in the pot. Actually it is easy. It just requires some practice and calm. If I can, everybody can 😉

STEP 4

When the risotto is ready, turn the heat off.

Now you are ready for the renown “mantecatura” !

The “mantecatura” consists in adding the parmigiano reggiano and the cold butter little by little. Mix until completely melted and blended with the rice.

Buon appetito !