Champagne Risotto Recipes

CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place slices of prosciutto on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until prosciutto slices are almost completely crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Reserve for garnish.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Blanch the asparagus in the stock for 2 minutes. Remove asparagus with a slotted spoon. Set asparagus aside and keep stock at a low simmer.
• In another medium saucepan, melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Add shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more.
• Add Champagne to rice and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total.
• Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto pieces into smaller pieces over the top of the risotto.
• Serve immediately.

CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO WITH SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté 1 minute. Add rice; sauté 2 minutes. Add Champagne; simmer until almost all liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 can broth; simmer until rice is almost tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add scallops; simmer until scallops are cooked through and rice is tender but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy, adding more broth if too thick and stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

CHAMPAGNE RISOTTO (NIGELLA LAWSON)

Steps:

• Chop the celery and the white part of the leeks very finely. Melt ½ stick of the butter with the oil in a wide saucepan and cook them gently until softened. In another saucepan, pour in 1 cup of the champagne and all of the chicken stock, and keep on a very low simmer nearby to your risotto. When the vegetables are soft, tip in the rice and turn in the oil until slicked and glossy. Turn up the heat, pour in the remaining ½ cup champagne and, stirring all the time, let it be bubblingly absorbed. Turn down the heat slightly but not too low, and keep adding ladles of champagney stock, letting one ladleful be absorbed before adding the next, stirring all the while. Once the rice is cooked - 18-20 minutes should do it - stop, even if you've got some stock left over. Equally, if the rice has absorbed all the stock and yet needs further cooking - both happen - add a little more, or if it's just a very little more you think you need, boiling water will do. Off the heat, beat in the remaining butter and the Parmesan. Season with a good grinding of white pepper if possible to keep it looking pure and unspeckled.