Chestnut Risotto

It’s time to make something unusual with chestnuts…risotto! When you will be cooking this one, you will fall in love. Beautiful scent of rosemary, celery and pancetta will spread in your kitchen. I didn’t expect it, but even my kids loved it. I think it’s because they already love chestnuts so much. You can find recipe for roasted chestnuts here.

Risotto comes from North of Italy. It is a rice dish cooked with stock until it reaches a creamy consistency. The base of every classic risotto is butter, onion, white wine, and parmesan cheese.

There are two basic types of risotto rice:

Arborio is the short-grain rice for making risotto. It is capable of absorbing large amounts of liquid and produces a relatively creamy risotto with a hearty texture.

Carnaroli is larger grain of rice that has a high starch content. It is preferred by many chefs as it produces a very creamy risotto with a nice bite.

Our preference is carnoli rice, but both types will make a delicious risotto.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil

320g or Carnaroli or Arborio rice – 80g per person

1 shallot

200g of pancetta

1 stalk of celery

Rosemary

150ml white wine

700 – 1000ml vegetable stock

200g chestnuts

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cut onions, pancetta and celery.

2. Heat up olive oil and fry onions. Add celery and roast it for minute or two.

3. Add pancetta and rosemary and fry it together with onions until pancetta seems to be “cooked”.

4. Add rice and fry it for a few minutes.

5. Add wine and stir until rice absorbs the wine.

6. Add a stock. Keep adding a stock - One ladle at the time, until the rice is all dente. Not too hard but not overcooked either.

7. When rice is almost ready add roasted chestnuts. Serve with Parmesan cheese.