Fresh Lemon Risotto

Before we get into the recipe, let me paint you a picture of how this dish came into my repertoire. Over the summer, Andrew and I went on an amazing trip to Italy with my family. One of our favorite stops was Positano, a cliffside village on the Amalfi coast. We were there in July which is prime time for the lemons that Positano is famous for. The lemons are literally the size of my head – so insane! When we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant, Andrew and I both ordered the lemon risotto and nearly died when we took the first bite. Ever since that day, we have been craving it and Andrew has been begging me to replicate the recipe. You guys, I finally did it! This risotto is so fresh and flavorful – you’re going to love it.

Before doing any research for the recipe, I went grocery shopping and bought three bags of lemon for this risotto. The reason I went so crazy is because the risotto we had in Positano had such a distinct lemon flavor that I thought I was going to have to add tons of lemon juice to achieve the same flavor. Well, that was a huge fail. Once I started going through recipes, I realized just how overboard I went. The lemon juice (and lemon zest!) are so potent and flavorful, you need way less than you think to get that lemony flavor. Needless to say, I’ve gotten quite good at incorporating lemon into every dish I make lately. Gotta use up those lemons!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (used in segments)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons lemon zest

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a medium pot. Set aside. Hot broth will absorb much better than cold broth. This step is essential!
2. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
3. Once butter is melted fully, add diced shallots and saute until translucent and tender. About 4-5 minutes.
4. Add rice in with shallots. Allow the rice to toast slightly – about 1 minute. This will allow the rice to be coated in oil and absorb some of the flavor from the shallots!
5. Add white wine and stir until alcohol is evaporated. This will only take 30 seconds or so. Doing so deposits flavor from the wine without adding the bitterness of alcohol.
6. Once the wine is evaporated, you may start adding the broth. Do NOT add it all at once! Add 1-2 cups at a time, stirring frequently. Allow the broth to be completely absorbed into the rice. This is how risotto cooks! Not allowing the broth to absorb completely will result in hard, under-cooked rice that sticks to your teeth after every bite. You don’t want that! The broth will take approximately 2-5 minutes to absorb after each addition. Each round will probably take a bit longer to absorb than the last!
7. Depending on your stove top and the temperature of your broth, the rice will take 20-30 minutes to cook fully. The rice should be tender and creamy!
8. Remove pot from the heat. Add Parmesan cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until fully incorporated.
9. Stir in parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
10. Season risotto with salt and pepper to taste. Remember the Parmesan and chicken broth contain lots of salt already!
11. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest! Transfer to a large bowl and serve.

Let me know if you try this recipe and love it as much as we do!

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