My Fall take on risotto has a caramelized sweetness from the onions and apples, enhanced by the fruity notes and acidity of the hard cider.  I partnered with my local cidery, Dressler Estate in Downingtown, PA to create this recipe to highlight their dry hard cider, Modern Still. You can find Dressler Estate Ciders in restaurants and take out spots in the greater Philadelphia area, to include Bottle Room in Downingtown, PA. Bottle Room will also be hosting a Dressler Estate Cider Dinner on 10/21/18! In anticipation of the delicious menu that they have planned for that evening, I have created a couple of my own recipes to share with you online to try at home; this risotto recipe in this post and a fabulously fall cocktail that I will be posting next week.

   Here’s the quick low-down on risotto:  the term actually refers to the cooking method, not the rice and it’s surprising simple to make.  For a very long time I was very intimidated by the dish because of the alleged “constant stirring” that needs to occur in order to turn the outer starch of the rice into a creamy sauce; however you do have a little leeway here and can leave it for a minute here and there as you quickly put other things together for your meal.  Regardless, you should plan on attending to the risotto by frequently stirring it as you add stock to it for 20-30 minutes until it’s ready to serve, which makes this a perfect recipe to make while you’re sipping a bit of the cider for inspiration and pure happiness in your kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Aborio or other short grained rice
• 4-5 c chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium or 2 large onions, chopped to small dice
• 1 apple, peeled and cut to medium dice 
• 1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 c Dressler Estate Modern Still Cider
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)

How I Make It:

• -In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer and leave warm on a back burner
• -In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium and add the diced onion, sautéing until it begins to brown.
• -Push the onion to the perimeter of the pan and add the apples, and allow them to color slightly.
• -Add rice and stir continuously to coat all of the grains with the oil and toast lightly.
• -Remove the pan from the burner to add the cider and return to burner on medium-low. Stir to scrape off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and cook while stirring 1-2 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
• -Ladle enough chicken stock to totally cover the rice (approximately 1 cup) and stir vigorously, taking care to scrape any remaining bits off the bottom of the pan
• -Allow rice to come to a bubbly simmer over medium-low heat as you stir frequently
• -Once the liquid has been thoroughly absorbed (about 5-7 minutes), add more chicken stock, once cup at a time, & continue to stir over med to med-low heat for 5-7 minutes in between new additions of chicken stock.
• -After about 20 minutes and adding a total of about 4 cups of chicken stock, taste your risotto for doneness and seasoning. The rice should still have a firmness to it but not stick in your teeth and it should taste delicious but a little under seasoned (because we still have to add the parmesan, which adds quite a bit of saltiness). If it seems too bland, add more salt to taste.
• -Remove from heat and stir in the grated parmesan.
• -Risotto should finish as a saucy mixture and needs to be served immediately.
• -Use any reserved chicken stock to loosen up the mixture before serving if needed.

Tips:

• *Garnish with fresh apples and fresh chives to add a fresh brightness to the dish.
• *Using different types of onions will give added depth of flavor (I used 1 yellow, 1 sweet white, & 1 red onion for this recipe).
• *Chopping the apple into a larger dice than the onion and adding it just before adding the rice, allows the apple to develop some flavor but still stay intact in the dish instead of turning into apple sauce (which is still delicious!).
• *The biggest challenge with risotto is that it is to be served immediately, which can be further complicated by getting the family to the table to eat it before it turns into leftovers, so make sure that they have already set the table!
• *This recipe will serve 4.
• *Serve with Modern Still or with my Cider Bellini featuring Dressler Estate Modern Sparkling!

I hope that this will demystify risotto for you and inspire you to add it to you Fall menu! 

Cheers!