Serves 6
This recipe is adapted from the Williams Sonoma cookbook, a wedding present from Jessica to me – who knew then that it would figure into our blog today? I first made this risotto for my friends from my home in Italy when they visited me in New York. It has a delightful sweet flavor, is rich in nutrients, and turns out to be a fun color to look at. It’s a little longer than our usual recipes, but it walks you
through step by step using all parts of the beets, so it’s worth the little extra effort to access all parts of this rich-nutrient plant.
Ingredients:
8 small or 3 large beets with greens
3 cups water
3 Tsp olive oil
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups risotto rice such as arborio or carnaroli
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Remove the beet green and discard tough stems. Rinse the greens and spin them dry, thinly slice the leaves crosswise and set aside.
Scrub the beets and quarter small beets lengthwise, or cut large beets into chunks. In a sauce pan, bring the water to a boil and add salt to taste. Add the beets and cook until fork tender, 8-12 minutes. Drain,
reserving the water and remove the skins when the beets are cool enough to handle. Put the beets on a baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and gently mix to coat the beets with oil.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the stock and beet liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer and maintain over low heat.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 4-6 minutes.
Add the greens from the beets and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the greens mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add the rice to the pan and stir until translucent,
about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.
Add the stock bit by bit, or as I tend to do in two batches while stirring over low-medium heat. Reserve 1/4 stock to add at the end.
When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy (about 20 minutes) stir in the beets and greens. Cook to heat through, about 1 minute. remove from the heat and stir in the
butter (if using) and reserved 1/4 stock. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.
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