Celeriac & chestnuts risotto
I was not a big fan of celeriac but there are certain flavor combinations that you can create with it that just work too well, and I completely change my mind about it.
Take this creamy tasty risotto for example. The sulphureous note of the celeriac is so well balanced by the sweet nuttiness of chestnuts and hazelnuts and all is bound together but the aromatic touch of the rosemary.
This is a proper wintery dish where you can indulge with butter and cheese if you want and I recommend the use of Arborio rice for the better balance of creaminess and ‘homely flavor’.
A dish with Italian flair but uses beautiful British ingredients.
Serves: 4 // Preparation Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
380 g of Arborio risotto rice
40 g of grated Grana Padano cheese
1 small onion (chopped)
40 g of unsalted butter
1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
100 ml of dry white wine
1 small celeriac
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
20 g of toasted hazelnuts, chopped
120 g of boiled and peeled chestnuts
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Preparation
Start with the celeriac puree. Peel the celeriac and slice it roughly. The thinner the slices the quicker they cook. In a casserole pan “sweat” the onion in olive oil until golden then add the celeriac to it. Season with salt and pepper, cover with lid and cook until soft on low heat while mixing every now and then (about 15 minutes). Add a ladle of water if the celeriac starts to dry out. Once ready blend well until you have a smooth puree.
In a large pot, start to toast the rice on a low heat with a pinch of salt, without adding oil or fat. In this way, the heat reaches the core of each rice grain resulting in more uniform al dente rice. Keep stirring the rice, so the rice does not catch on the bottom of the pan or burn. When the rice is very hot, pour the white wine in. Let the alcohol evaporate, set the cooking time to 15/16 minutes (according to the packet’s instruction) and add the simmering stock a ladle at a time, little by little. Stir the rice occasionally, and keep cooking.
Halfway through the cooking, start to add gradually the celeriac puree. About 2 spoons each person should be enough.
While the risotto finish to cook caramelize half of the butter in a small casserole until brown. Now quickly roast the chestnuts into the brown butter for 2 minutes to give it a nice colour and a whole new level of flavour. Be careful not to burn the butter as it can be use for the risotto too. Turn off the heat, stir in a sprinkle of chopped rosemary and keep aside.
Once the cooking time of the risotto is up, if you’re happy with the texture remove it from the heat.
The last step is called “mantecatura” – with the right movements you can make the risotto creamier and increase its natural ooziness. Add the grated Grana Padano cheese and butter to the rice (as well as the drained brown butter from the chestnuts). Stir with energy to incorporate extra air until the risotto is nice and creamy. Season to taste.
Plate the hot risotto and top with the roasted chestnuts and chopped toasted hazelnuts. Now sprinkle with more chopped rosemary and serve straight away.