David Ruggieros Beet Risotto Recipes

BEET RISOTTO WITH PECORINO

Steps:

• Add the oil and shallots to a large, high-sided saute pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then cover and sweat (do not caramelize) for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring to coat the grains with oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until aromatic. Deglaze the pan with the red wine.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the beet juice and vegetable stock. Slowly add the beet juice mixture to the risotto pan, one ladle at a time, stirring and adding ladlefuls only once the previous has been absorbed. Cook in this manner until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been added, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Stir in the butter and then the pecorino. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve garnished with Roasted Red Beets, more pecorino, and chives.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the beets in the center of a large piece of foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the garlic, rosemary and some salt and pepper. Crimp the edges of the foil together to seal. Roast until tender, 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins and cut the beets into dice.

DAVID RUGGIERO'S BEET RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, simmer the beets in water to cover until tender (about an hour). Set them aside and reserve the cooking liquid. When the beets are cool, peel them, dice them and set them aside. Soften the saffron in the chicken stock.
• Heat three tablespoons of the butter in a heavy skillet and cook the onion until it is soft. Add the rice and stir for about 30 seconds, or until the grains become opaque. Add the white wine and when it has been absorbed, add a small amount of chicken stock, stirring constantly. Add the beet cooking liquid a little at a time. When this has been absorbed by the rice, continue adding small quantities of chicken stock and stirring, until the rice is al dente -- in other words, with a slight bite to it.
• Add the diced beets and stir them in. Add an ounce of the truffle oil and the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring. Add the remaining butter and the chives and stir in the remaining ounce of truffle oil along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pass the extra cheese separately.

BEET RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place a small braiser or medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the hot pan and melt. Add the shallot, fennel, beet and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the in butter and oil mixture and toast slightly, about 3 more minutes. Deglaze with the sherry vinegar and season with the remaining salt. Begin adding the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring often. Cook, stirring, after each addition until the broth is almost completely absorbed, continuing with the remaining broth until the risotto is creamy, cooked through and still moves slightly when spooned onto a plate. This will take about 20 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until melted. Serve with crumbled gorgonzola on top.

BLACK AND ARBORIO RISOTTO WITH BEETS AND BEET GREENS

Steps:

• To cook the black rice, combine with 2 cups water in a saucepan, add salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Remove from the heat, remove the lid from the pan and place a dish towel over the pan, then return the lid. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Season well and turn the heat to low. Stack the stemmed, washed greens and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or wide, heavy saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes, and add the rice and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The wine should bubble, but not too quickly. You want some of the flavor to cook into the rice before it evaporates. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock (about 1/2 cup), enough to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly (adjust heat accordingly). Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the greens, the diced beets and black rice and continue adding more stock, enough to barely cover the rice, and stirring often, for another 10 to 15 minutes. The arborio rice should be chewy but not hard in the middle - and definitely not soft like steamed rice. If it is still hard in the middle, you need to continue adding stock and stirring for another 5 minutes or so. Now is the time to ascertain if there is enough salt. Add if necessary.
• When the rice is cooked through, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stir in another ladleful of stock, the Parmesan and the parsley. Remove from the heat. The risotto should be creamy; if it isn't, add a little more stock. Stir once, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.

BEET RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring broth and 5 cups water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer.
• Meanwhile, peel beets, then coarsely shred using a food processor fitted with the shredder attachment or the large holes of a box grater.
• Heat a large wide pot or sauté pan over medium-high. Cook butter and oil, stirring occasionally, until butter melts. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beets, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes more.
• Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes, then add 1 1/2 cups broth, 3 tsp. vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until liquid has evaporated. Continue adding broth, 3/4 cup at a time as rice absorbs liquid, stirring constantly and simmering until rice is tender, 30-40 minutes; season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper halfway through. About 2 minutes before rice is al dente, add cream, 2 Tbsp. parsley, remaining 1 tsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Divide among 4 plates or bowls, then top with goat cheese, if using, and remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley.

GINGERED BEET RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Wrap beets tightly in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap beets carefully and let stand until cool enough to handle. Discard stems and peel beets. In a blender purée half of beets with 1 cup water and transfer to saucepan, whisking in remaining 2 cups water to make beet broth.
• Wash beet greens well and drain. Remove and discard stems from leaves. Chop enough leaves to measure 2 1/2 cups and chop remaining beets.
• Bring beet broth to a simmer and keep warm.
• In a large heavy saucepan cook onion, gingerroot, and garlic in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding beet broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until about half of broth has been added. Stir in chopped beets and beet leaves and continue simmering and adding broth in same manner until rice is tender but still al dente, about 18 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve risotto sprinkled with remaining Parmesan.

ROASTED BEET RISOTTO

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.
• When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• While beets are cooling, bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.
• Cook onion in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
• Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking, 18 to 22 minutes. (Reserve leftover broth.)
• Stir in beets, salt, and pepper(mixture will turn bright pink) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with some of leftover broth, then stir in cheese and remove from heat.

PINK RISOTTO WITH BEET GREENS AND ROASTED BEETS

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Season well and turn the heat to low. Stack the stemmed, washed greens and cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or wide, heavy saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes, and add the rice and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The wine should bubble, but not too quickly. You want some of the flavor to cook into the rice before it evaporates. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock (about 1/2 cup), enough to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly (adjust heat accordingly). Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the greens and the diced beets, and continue adding more stock, enough to barely cover the rice, and stirring often, for another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste a bit of the rice. Is it cooked through? It should taste chewy but not hard in the middle. Definitely not soft like steamed rice. If it is still hard in the middle, you need to continue adding stock and stirring for another 5 minutes or so. Now is the time to ascertain if there is enough salt. Add if necessary.
• When the rice is cooked through, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stir in another half cup of stock, the Parmesan and the parsley. Remove from the heat. The rice should be creamy; if it isn't, add a little more stock. Stir once, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.