Recipe XVI: Apple And Walnut Risotto With Smoked Pancetta
Last October’s pumpkin & amaretto risotto seemed to go over well and the people pleaser in me figured I’d keep a good thing going and present a worthy follow-up for fall ‘23.
I asked my husband to help me come up with something — and I paraphrase —
autumnal and savory and a little sweet like last time but not desserty and can we add bacon? but also make it bacon-optional and is it possible to —
and before I was done he had changed out of his work clothes and was rummaging in the kitchen for supplies. And oh my stars and garters was the final result perfection.
Similar to the pumpkin in last year’s dish, the apples lend a touch of sweetness that blends well with the savory components, while the chopped walnuts add a nice crunchy texture. It’s extremely filling and can definitely stand on its own as a main course.
INGREDIENTS:
400 grams risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli, etc)
1 finely chopped red apple + a few slices for plating
120 grams (about 4oz) of smoked pancetta or bacon
1 good handful of chopped walnuts
1 diced shallot
80 grams of butter
80 grams of freshly grated parmesan
1 glass of dry white wine
Several leaves of fresh sage
2 liters of boiling water
Salt + Pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Crisp up your pancetta/bacon in a dry pan and save the fat. Slow cook the shallot in the fat until translucent, add 3/4 of your chopped apple and sage and cook until soft, adding a few spoonfuls of boiling water as necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
Dry toast your rice until translucent, add a pinch of salt, deglaze with wine and start cooking in boiling water as you would a broth. When the rice is fully cooked add the shallot and apple mixture, remove the sage leaves, kill the flame and stir in the butter and parmesan. Add salt to taste.
Serve with a topping of crispy pancetta, walnuts, the rest of the diced apple and a few slices of fresh apple.
NOTES: I’d recommend serving with a glass of red but Covid warped my tolerance for flat wines so I drink Prosecco with all my meals now and I promise that’s not as posh as it sounds, Prosecco is inexpensive and practically available on tap here. I swear it also helps with digestion but I say that about a lot of my indulgences.
Buon appetito and wishing a well-fed autumn for all
