0.3 pound gorgonzola dolce blue (or other mild, creamy cheese)
10 cups chicken broth homemade reduced-sodium
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1.5 cups onion chopped
1 small head radicchio thinly
2.5 cups arborio rice
0.8 tsp salt
Equipment
frying pan
pot
Directions
Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a medium pot. Keep at a simmer, covered, over low heat.
Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed 8-qt. pot.
Add onion and saut, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes.
Add rice and saut, stirring constantly, until just the edges of the grains look translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add wine and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until wine is completely absorbed by rice.
Add about 1/2 cup hot broth to rice and cook, stirring constantly, until broth is completely absorbed by rice; reduce heat to medium-low if mixture starts to boil. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender to the bite (15 to 30 minutes; you will have broth left over). Keep rice at a constant simmer. While rice is cooking, cut radicchio into shreds.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add radicchio and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove rice from heat and stir in gorgonzola dolce, wilted radicchio, pepper, parsley, remaining 1 tsp. butter, and salt to taste. For a looser risotto, stir in 1 to 2 cups remaining broth.
Serve immediately.
*For a recipe, go to sunset.com/chickenbroth
Risotto's characteristic creaminess and chewiness come from the rice itself, and risotto rice is no ordinary rice. It contains two different starches: an amylopectin exterior, which softens faster--especially under the pressure of constant stirring--to create a creamy sensation in the mouth; and an amylose interior, which stays relatively firm during cooking to give you that al dente bite.
Arborio is the starchiest of the three popular risotto types, and it's the most prone to getting gummy as it cooks; inside, the grains tend to be chalky and crumbly. Widely available.
Our favorite, Carnaroli has longer, narrow grains that cook the most evenly and have the best texture--creamy without being gluey, and a good chewy interior. Find at Whole Foods Markets, A.G. Ferrari Foods (agferrari.com), and gourmet grocery stores.
Vialone Nano grains are smaller, oval-shaped, and produce a delicate risotto with a nutty flavor. Find at A.G. Ferrari Foods (see above) and specialty stores.
Surprise: Sushi rice. Medium-grain Nishiki brand is creamy and chewy, and so much like Arborio that half our tasting panel couldn't tell the difference. Plus, it costs less than any Italian risotto rice.
