The radicchio recipe – Radicchio Risotto

This is the recipe that a friend of mine said would be incredible after i’d whinged about this crazy bitter purple lettuce. Believe it or not this works, and it gives the risotto a very subtle bitter flavour, much less bitter than the raw leaves. Plus it goes a lovely purple/pink colour when its cooked. It’s almost as crazy as this lettuce risotto recipe on the BBC website – I still think that’s too odd to try.

I used this recipe from about.com – which i’ve reprinted below for ease

http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr1046.htm

To serve 4-5, you’ll need:

2 cups short-grained rice, ideally Vialone Nano

12 ounces (300 g) firm, crunchy red radicchio

An onion

1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter

1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil

1 quart beef broth, hot

Salt and grated Parmigiano to taste.

Begin by slicing the onion finely and sauté it in the oil and butter. While it’s coloring (don’t let it brown), thinly shred the leaves and stalks of the radicchio, add them to the pot, and cook until they have wilted. Add three cups hot broth, heat until the pot comes to a boil and add the rice. Cook, stirring, and adding more broth as necessary, until the rice reaches the al dente stage. Just before it does, stir in another tablespoon of butter and grated cheese to taste (I’d go with 1/2 to 3/4 cup). Stir to amalgamate it all, turn off the heat, let the risotto sit covered for a minute or two, and serve.