Risotto with Peas

I owe you a risotto recipe! I found a very simple recipe of this Italian classic that I found easy and not time consuming (with prep about 40 minutes).  I made risotto again tonight for dinner using this recipe and it was just as flavourful and creamy as when I made it the first time. 

First, you need some white wine. I used wine from my wedding.

The key ingredient: Arborio rice which I found at Superstore. It's the starch from this type of rice that brings the creaminess to the dish.

My set up. I made vegetable broth to the left and I started making the risotto in the pan on the right.

The oil and rice mixing.

My supervisor. 

I ladled my broth (to be on the warmer than hot side too) in a 2 cup measuring cup so that it was ready to go as you can see on the top right. My risotto is now simmering.

Wine break!

Up close view to the stirring/ simmering process when adding broth to the rice.

Final Product!

Risotto with Peas

(adapted from Thug Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots or yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Arborio rice*
• ½ cup white wine
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ cup minced chives
• pepper to taste

Directions:

• Warm up the veggie broth in a medium pot until it gently simmers then turn off the heat.
• In a large skillet or pot with a wide bottom, heat up the 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté them around until they start to look golden, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and rice and sauté until the rice smells toasted and starts looking like it absorbed some of the oil, about 2 more minutes. This helps make your risotto creamy. 
• Add the white wine and salt to the pot and cook until most of the wine has evaporated and you scraped whatever bits of shallot got stuck to the bottom of the pot.
• Now add 2 cups of the warm broth, stir, and lower the heat so that the pot is at a simmer, uncovered. Stir every couple of minutes until most of the broth has absorbed into the rice, about 7-10 minutes. Just stir it every minute or two. Add another 2 cups of warm broth at this point, and do that whole stir and simmer thing again for another 7 minutes or until the rice tastes slightly undercooked and there’s still broth in the pot.
• Add the frozen peas and stir the entire mixture off and on for two minutes until the peas are cooked. Turn off the heat; add the lemon zest, remaining oil, half the chives, and a little pepper. Serve right away and top with the remaining chives.