Recipe
Beet and Beet Green Risotto with Horseradish
Time: About 30 minutes—with lots of active time (tough to do other things when making risotto!)
Yield: Serves 4
| 1 small onion 1 pound red beets with greens (about 3 medium) 4 cups water ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter |
1 cup Arborio or long-grain rice ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1½ ounces) 1 tablespoon bottled horseradish |
In a small saucepan bring water to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer. You’ll use this water to expand the rice, so ignore it for now.
Finely chop onion and trim stems close to tops of beets. Cut greens into ¼-inch-wide slices and chop stems. Peel beets and cut into fine dice.
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook onion in butter over medium heat until softened (usually 1-2 minutes). Be wary of browning butter with too-high heat.
Add beets and stems (but not greens) and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup simmering water and cook, stirring constantly and keeping at a strong simmer, until absorbed.
Continue cooking at a strong simmer and adding water, about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next.
After 10 minutes, stir in greens and continue cooking and adding water, about ½ cup at a time, in the same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 8 minutes more.
Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan.
Serve risotto topped with horseradish or allow guests to add themselves.
Notes
Do not use the finely grated Parmesan from the market, as it does not melt with the desired consistency. Better to buy a chunk and grate it yourself. And definitely do not use anything out of a green can… You just spent 30 minutes making awesome risotto, so don’t ruin it now.
Be sure that bottled horseradish is still potent. You cannot tell this from smelling the bottle; best option is to taste a small portion. Omitting the horseradish is not a great idea, as the dish tastes too sweet without it.
Adapted from Gourmet, September 1998