Several months ago, I was lucky enough to meet the renowned chef Michael Tusk, owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Quince in San Francisco. I met him at a press preview for the Kenwood Cooking Chef, a super-fancy combination mixer, food processor, and blender that also has an induction heating plate—meaning food can be cooked directly in the work bowl. Tusk provided an individual cooking demonstration for each attendee and he explained to me how it’s possible to make risotto without ever having to stand there constantly stirring again! This is all well and good, but unfortunately, I’m pretty sure that a $2,500 kitchen machine is, for me, an unrealistic purchase anytime soon. But I still found inspiration from Tusk when I received in my press kit a recipe for his beet risotto with Gorgonzola cream sauce. I decided to do my own spin with a traditionally made risotto, using the plethora of beets from my CSA. The result was a creamy and oh-so-decadent dish brimming with deep earthiness from the combination of beets and aged blue cheese. So, until someone buys me a fancy kitchen machine that will do all the work for me (hint, hint), I’ll keep using this recipe and making my risotto the old-fashioned way.
Method: For the risotto: Bring stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat and reduce to a simmer. In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and sauté the onions until they are translucent. Add the rice and stir until a white spot appears in the center of the grains, about one minute. Add wine and stir until it is absorbed, about two minutes. Add ¾ cup of the stock. Adjust the heat to a simmer and stir the rice until the liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking, adding the liquid ¾ cup at a time until the rice starts to soften, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking, adding the liquid ½ cup at a time and stirring constantly (where’s my Kenwood?!) until the rice is creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. For the beet puree: Peel the beets and remove the tops. Boil until they are soft, about 20 minutes. Drain the pot, reserving one cup of beet water. Add the ½ cup of olive oil and reserved liquid to the pot and puree the beets with an immersion blender. Mix the puree with the risotto. For the gorgonzola sauce: Warm the cream gently over low heat. Slowly add the gorgonzola cheese until it is a smooth, creamy mixture. To plate: Ladle the risotto into six dishes. Create a shallow hole in the center of the risotto and ladle gorgonzola sauce into the space. // Shannon Sharpe
Ingredients (serves 6):
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil for risotto plus ½ cup olive oil for the beet puree
½ large onion, chopped
1½ cups Arborio rice
½ dry white wine
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for passing
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound beets
1 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup heavy cream
