Beet Risotto

You won't be able to resist today's recipe, because the risotto that Eva, author of Bake-Street, brings us is finger-licking good: it's a delicious and colorful risotto that I'm sure you'll love even if you're not a big fan of beetroot. It's one of the best risotto recipes due to its distinctive flavor and the original contrast of the caramelized hazelnuts. Don't miss it!

Risotto is one of the most traditional dishes of Italian cuisine. Its origin comes from eastern Piedmont, western Lombardy and Verona due to the abundance of rice in these areas.

The key to success for getting a good risotto is the rice, this is fundamental. There are several types we can use for this purpose such as Carnaroli, Arborio or Vialone Nano, for example. These high-quality rices have the ability to absorb liquid and release starch, which will allow us to obtain a very creamy result.

When cooking with them they don't all follow the same cooking guidelines. For example Carnaroli rice is less likely to overcook while Vialone Nano has a shorter cooking time and absorbs flavors better.

To prepare this risotto I used the De Buyer high-sided iron skillet. Thanks to its base it is very convenient to prepare this type of dish where we need good heat distribution as well as height to add broth, stir… not to mention that food does not stick to the bottom.

For that it is very important that the first time we use it we do a good seasoning. In this video you can see how to do it in an easy and quick way.

The beetroot variation I'm leaving you is simply… spectacular. There are several beetroot risotto recipes where they add it as a purée. In my case I preferred to add it in small cubes, like in this Kraut-Kopf recipe. It's very pleasant to find small pieces of beetroot together with the rice, it gives a very pleasant soft touch.

Ingredients for a risotto for two people:

• 150 g of fresh beetroot
• 150 g of Carnaroli risotto “Sivaris”
• ½ large shallot or 1 small
• 50 g of white wine
• 530 g of a good vegetable stock, homemade is better
• 25 g of crème fraîche
• 25 g of butter
• 15 g of grated Parmesan
• flaky salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 and ½ tablespoons of Trilloliva olive oil
• a pinch of ground cinnamon
• Parmesan shards for garnish

For the caramelized hazelnuts:

• a handful of hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• zest of ½ orange
• pinch of salt

For the beetroot petals:

• 1 small fresh beetroot
• flaky salt
• black pepper to taste

De Buyer high-sided iron skillet, T&G acacia wood board and Pallarès beechwood knife

PREPARATION

We prepare the beetroot petals:

If you have a dehydrator:

1. With the help of a mandoline, using the finest and smoothest blade, we slice the beetroot.
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place the slices in a dehydrator and leave at 70ºC for about 6-7 hours.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can make them in the oven:

1. Preheat the oven to 70ºC with top and bottom heat.
2. On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, place the beetroot slices so that they do not overlap. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Put in the middle of the oven and leave for around 4-5 hours. Before taking them out, try them to check how crunchy they are.

We caramelize the hazelnuts:

1. Place a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. In a mortar lightly crush the hazelnuts, set aside.
3. Once the skillet is hot, add the hazelnuts and toast gently.
4. When they have a light golden color, add the honey, the pinch of salt and the orange zest and leave over medium heat until they caramelize. Stir occasionally to avoid burning them.
5. Once caramelized, pour onto baking paper and let cool completely.

We roast the beetroot for the risotto:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC with top and bottom heat.
2. Wrap the beetroot in aluminum foil and place on a tray. Put in the middle of the oven and leave for about 1 hour.
3. If the beetroot is medium, it will be ready in this time. If it's larger, it may take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. To know if it's ready, pierce with a fork; it should be tender.
4. Remove and let cool.

We prepare the beetroot risotto:

1. Remove the skin from the beetroot and cut into small cubes, about 0.5 cm. Set aside.
2. Cut the shallot into brunoise, very small cubes, set aside.
3. In a medium pot pour the vegetable stock and place over medium-high heat. Leave until it reaches a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, place our De Buyer iron skillet over medium-low heat, pour in the oil and wait until it reaches temperature.
5. Add the chopped shallot and sweat until translucent.
6. Once the shallot is ready, add the rice. Increase to medium heat and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly so the rice is well coated.
7. Add the white wine, stir, and leave until it evaporates. This will take about 2 minutes.
8. Start adding the vegetable stock little by little. Pour between 1 and 2 ladles, just enough to slightly cover the rice, and stir constantly. Do not add more stock until the rice has absorbed it.
9. Repeat the process until all the stock has been added. This will take about 20 minutes.
10. When the rice is almost done, tender on the outside but with a slightly firm center, add the beetroot cubes.
11. Stir constantly to infuse the entire rice with its vivid and intense color.
12. Add the crème fraîche, butter and the grated Parmesan, and stir again until the ingredients are completely homogeneous. Remove from heat.
13. Add the cinnamon, about 1/8 of a teaspoon, and mix again to distribute evenly. The total cooking time will be around 22-24 minutes.

Serve the risotto.

Once we have the risotto ready we should not delay serving it.
Divide between two plates, garnish with some Parmesan shards, caramelized hazelnuts and a few beetroot petals.

I can assure you it's one of the best risottos I've tried to date. It's not only visually appealing thanks to its intense color but its flavor is truly surprising even if you're not a big beetroot enthusiast.

The accompaniment of caramelized hazelnuts with honey and orange provides that crunchy and sweet touch that contrasts very well with the creaminess of the risotto. And the beetroot petals give it a very impressive look, besides being very tasty!

In fact I recommend making extra since you're at it; they keep very well in an airtight container and they're a very healthy snack.

Give it a try, your stomach will thank you.