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Risotto di carciofi (artichoke risotto)
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Risotto di carciofi (artichoke risotto)

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

In Venice, less is more. Most risotto dishes are made the exact same way and do call only for one simple ingredient to be showcased. And late winter/early spring has its own king of seasonal vegetable: artichokes. And one of the most traditional way of serving it had to be as the star in a risotto, of course.

Ingredients

  • Risotto

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

  • 350g of risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano)

  • 1.2l vegetable stock

  • 2 large or 4 medium artichokes

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 50g of cold, unsalted butter, cubed

  • Salt

  • Garnish

  • Handful of mint leaves, chopped

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped

  • 40g panko breadcrumns

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • Pepper (optional)

  • Parmesan, finely grated (optional)

  • Reserved soft central leaves of the artichoke (optional)

Directions

  • Garnish
  • Add the oil to a small skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and chopped peanuts and toss in the skillet with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs start to evenly brown and the lemon zest is aromatic. Remove from the heat and add the minced parsley. Mix well with either a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
  • Risotto
  • Fill up a bowl with cold water and the lemon juice. Remove leaves until you get to the soft ones, leaves tops and most of the stem from the artichokes. Cut them in quarters and scoop away any hairy parts from the core. Cut the flesh in cubes. Every time you make a cut, dip them in the lemony water to prevent oxidation.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat, then add the onion, the artichokes and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
  • Add enough lemony water to almost cover the artichokes, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the artichokes are tender.
  • Add the rice and toast it in the pan for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to keep it from catching, until it becomes translucent.
  • Add the stock, a ladle at a time. Simmer the rice, stirring often to release the starch from (which is what gives you a creamy risotto), and until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Keep the heat on medium.
  • Keep adding stock, and continue to simmer and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid again. By the time the stock is almost over, the rice should be cooked.
  • Once the rice is cooked (you might not need to use all the stock), remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter. Give the risotto a good toss or stir to make it soft and creamy.*
  • Rest for a full minute before serving, ideally on warm plates. Scatter over the gremolata, artichoke leaves and parmesan, if using, and add a twist of black pepper if you wish.

Notes

  • *This step is called ‘mantecatura’ and it’s essential in the making of a perfect risotto.
  • Artichokes were not cultivated in the lagoon up until the 1500’s. Nowadays they are grown all over Italy, but those from Liguria and the Veneto are particularly delicious. They are among the most prized crops grown in the Venetian lagoon, with ‘violetto artichoke’ from Chioggia and ‘castraure’ (baby artichokes) from Sant’Erasmo island being considered a delicacy worth paying a lot for.
  • The English word artichoke was borrowed in the sixteenth century from the northern Italian word articiocco (the standard modern Italian being carciofo). And that is still how today Venetians call artichokes today.