Fresh Bacon Risotto

[LakeErieBrew]

This recipe is awesome. Off-the-chart awesome.

1 1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 lb slab bacon - cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup onion - diced
1 cup dry white wine
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs unsalted butter
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer. In a separate skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Add bacon, season with black pepper, and cook until it is browned. Then, add onions and cook until the onions begin to caramelize. Add rice and cook until translucent, stirring continuously. Add white wine, stirring continuously, until it is absorbed. Begin adding stock, a ladle-full at a time. Keep stirring after each stock addition. The stock will be absorbed fairly quickly. Once it is absorbed, add another ladle-full and don't forget to keep stirring. Continue adding the stock, one ladle-full at a time, until the rice is al dente. Then, add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Stir so all of the rice gets a nice coating of butter, salt, and pepper. I like this with a lot of black pepper. Serve it right away while it is luscious and glistening.

 

[dataz722]

I love risotta and that sounds awesome. I make a really good seafood risotto.

 

[LakeErieBrew]

Seafood risotto sounds great. I bet you can get some nice fresh seafood in DE.

 

[dataz722]

You can get some pretty good stuff really fresh but it sucks because most of it I don't like. About the only thing I can get local that I really like are scallops.

 

[arturo7]

Risotto kicks ass.

This is one of those dishes that comes out better from your own kitchen than all but fanciest of restaurants. It has to be built one ladle at a time; it's ready when it's ready. A minute or two either way makes a huge difference.

 

[dataz722]

Risotto kicks ass.

This is one of those dishes that comes out better from your own kitchen than all but fanciest of restaurants. It has to be built one ladle at a time; it's ready when it's ready. A minute or two either way makes a huge difference.

I've only had it edible at one restaurant and damn was it amazing there. Everywhere else it was pretty much just nasty hard rice in gravy.

 

[Bopper]

Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to try it today as a side with drunken chicken.

 

[Revvy]

This is so cool. I have never made a risotto before, but have been considering taking a stab at it. This may be the recipe to pop my risotto making cherry.

 

[LakeErieBrew]

Thanks for taking a look and giving it a try. Let me know if you like it!

 

[sp1365]

I might have to try this. Sounds really good.

While not a true risotto, I do a great mushroom barely "risotto" that is just amazing, but I have been wanting to do a real risotto sometime.

 

[Homercidal]

My wife LOVES risotto. I have made it a few times before, and it's ok for me, but I'd like to give this recipe a shot. I think I've been making it wrong. We'll see. She will really like this anyways.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

FWIW, here's part 1 of a Good Eats 'rice' episode where he makes risotto. Like brewing, patience is a virtue.

 

[niquejim]

It sounds good, but it needs some parmesan added at the end to really give it that creamy texture. I make risotto with mushrooms (mushroom and black truffle is devine) or butternut squash or roasted tomato or shrimp or(you get the idea). If you start with good ingredients and cook it properly you'll have good risotto.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

After reading this and rewatching that Good Eats I decided to make a simple risotto last night (just that basic recipe from Good Eats, no veggies). I think I drank 2 pints while standing there tending to it! Seemed like it took forever but it was darn tasty.

And there was something about the aroma from cooking that really made the Centennial hops in the Pale Ale I was drinking stand out in a different, and very good way.

I hope this stuff can be reheated and have a similar consistency, I have a lot leftover.

 

[vinyl_key]

Wow, I just made this tonight. Fantastic! Went very well with the bacon-wrapped chicken I made with it.

<3 bacon

 

[northernlad]

This is so cool. I have never made a risotto before, but have been considering taking a stab at it. This may be the recipe to pop my risotto making cherry.

One critical element not mentioned here is 21 minutes. It is not necessary to add only a ladle at a time if you know how far you are in the batch. Test the doneness at 18 minutes and you will have a good idea how much farther you have to go.
If you are adding cream, make sure it is the desired final consistency (the "sauce", not the rice) at 18 minutes. Then add cream and cook to 21 minutes.
It takes a little practice to get it perfect, but it is very easy.
If you are adding cheese of any kind, do so at flameout.