White Truffle Risotto

Any variation of risotto pretty much follows a basic recipe and then you can add any ingredients that you want to it; provided that you cook them correctly first. Chuck told me that he was going to grill some filets and asparagus for our Valentine's Day dinner, and we both thought that risotto would be a nice side dish.

White truffles are a variety of highly esteemed underground fungi that are found in Italy (Wikipedia). They are extremely expensive and should be used only with the utmost care and restraint. So for those of us who want the flavor of the white (or black) truffles without the price; we can buy truffle oil. To some people's surprise, most truffle oil does not contain any actual truffles, but is an olive oil that has been synthetically flavored.

So I had a bottle of white truffle oil in my pantry and decided to turn my basic risotto into white truffle risotto. I have never tasted white truffles before, and even with the "synthetic" flavoring, it was still delicious. It added a delicate, buttery taste to the risotto that we really liked. Find it at gourmet stores or search for it on the internet!

White Truffle Risotto

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes 2 servings

1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Combine broth and 1 cup water in medium saucepan; keep warm over low heat.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until almost transclucent and becoming tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add rice and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add 1 cup warm broth mixture to rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently until absorbed. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing broth to absorb completely before adding more. Continue cooking until rice is al dente, about 25-30 minutes total. (You may not need to use all the broth and the cooking time will vary - there is a moment where you see the rice "bloom" and become creamy. Taste it often!)

Remove risotto from heat. Add butter, white truffle oil, and cheese. Stir until completely combined and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Still learning how to lighten the pictures:

After the first cup of broth is added. Stir frequently until this is almost absorbed.