Golden Beet Risotto
In my first cookbook, one of the sections was family recipes, made up of some of my favorite foods from my childhood. In the time between the first cookbook and the second, something happened which really changed my family: Ayana and I got married. My family grew to encompass a whole new clan of wonderful folks.
For the family recipe section of the second volume, I’ve developed some recipes in honor of meals shared with this new branch of my family. These recipes are mostly new takes on dishes that they like to cook or like to eat. Ayana’s family is quite large, so this section is far from complete. I could easily fill an entire book trying to make recipes for all of them, so I hope no one is offended by their omission.
Ayana’s stepmom, Cosetta, makes a delicious beetroot risotto with goat cheese. I wanted to make something similar but different to honor that and add my own touch. Thus, golden beet risotto. Golden beets are sweeter and slightly less earthy in flavor than their red counterparts. This golden beet risotto features vibrantly yellow, tender rice in that delightful, starchy sauce, imbued with earthy beets, fragrant onion and garlic, and bright lemon zest. Garnished with fried pancetta, thinly sliced basil, and crumbled chevre, it’s truly something special. Beautiful to look at and wonderful to eat.
Ingredients
- 8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 3 cups golden beets peeled and diced large
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1½ cups arborio rice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ cup crumbled chevre for garnish
- ½ cup fried pancetta for garnish
- ½ cup chiffonade basil for garnish
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot and add the cubed beets. Boil until tender and puree using an immersion blender. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer.
- Bring a large skillet to medium heat and add the butter, onion, and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft.
- Add the rice to the skillet and allow it to toast for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions may begin to brown around the edges, and this is okay. If anything begins to burn, immediately move on to the next step.
- Deglaze the skillet with a scoop of the broth, scraping any fond off the bottom.
- Add the broth one cup at a time, allowing the rice to simmer and absorb most of the moisture before adding the next round. This is the art of making risotto. It is all in the slow, careful addition of warm broth, allowing the rice to slowly plump and release starch, making that perfectly creamy dish we all so adore.
- Once all of the stock has been added and the risotto has reached that perfect texture, remove it from heat and stir in the lemon zest. Taste now, and add more salt, if desired.
- Serve immediately, garnished with the crumbled chevre, basil chiffonade, and fried pancetta.
The other recipes in the Family Recipes section of the cookbook are:
Alene’s Ahi Nachos
Ayana’s Chewy Chai Cookies
Brenda’s Smoked Salmon Frittata
Goat Cheese Omelette
Shawn’s Sausage Smashburger
Give this recipe a shot, and when you love it, don’t forget to pre-order yourself a copy of The Buslife Kitchen Volume 2: Recipes from the Road.