Mascarpone • Shallot • Tangerine
Serves 4
Rich, decadent risotto is hard to beat for a special meal. The one cardinal rule for making this dish: Don’t rush it. Be sure the shallots are translucent before you begin adding the rice, and that the rice is a milky-white color before adding the liquid. Toasting the rice in the fats without any liquid is a key step as it helps determine the final texture of the rice. Be sure to use warm stock; adding cold stock to the hot rice will cook the outside of the rice, but not the inside, resulting in a hard, unpleasant texture.
wild bonus: Although this dish is starch heavy, it includes the mineral-boosting properties of the broth.
1 unwaxed tangerine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1½ cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups Mineral-Rich Bone Broth or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, heated to a simmer
3 tablespoons mascarpone
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grate the zest of the tangerine (taking care not to include any of the bitter white pith) and then juice the tangerine. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter into the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat with the oil. Cook until the rice is hot and pearly white but not brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add one ladle (about ½ cup) of warm broth and stir until it’s incorporated into the rice.
Continue this process, stirring and adding about ½ cup of broth at a time, for about 15 minutes, and then taste a grain of rice. It should have a slight resistance when chewed. If it seems too hard, add ¼ cup more broth and continue cooking for another few minutes until the broth has been absorbed.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone, Parmesan, and tangerine zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.