Chive Risotto with White Truffle Oil

To all of my readers, I'm sorry it has been so slow in here lately. But I have a good reason for not feeling like cooking - we're expecting our first little one in July! The first couple of months were full of exhaustion and Jon did all of the cooking, and when he wasn't home, I got takeout. But thankfully my energy came back along with my urge to get into the kitchen. And now that I'm cooking again, I'm also wanting to try some new recipes, so I promise I'll have more posts over the next few months!

Last Saturday we stayed in and cooked together. And what does Jon always request when he's grilling steaks? Risotto, of course.

I have a bunch of risotto recipes in my blog already - feel free to browse through the risotto tag over there on the right. And here is a new one to add to the list, Chive Risotto with White Truffle Oil. If I can't have real truffles, the flavor of them will have to do - I love truffles!

I used this recipe as my inspiration, but used my standard risotto preparation method. My adaptation is below.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c arborio rice
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 4 c chicken broth, warmed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
• Approximately 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I don't measure, I just grate it over the pan)
• 2 tbsp white truffle oil

Directions

• In a large saute pan, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat
• Add shallots and garlic; saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the rice, and toss until coated
• Add the wine, stir until absorbed
• Add 1 ladle full of broth, stir until absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 ladle at a time, stirring and letting it absorb before adding more. The process of adding the broth will take about 18 minutes or so. When you are getting close to this time, start to taste the rice so you don't overcook it. You want it to have a very slight bite to it.
• Season with salt and pepper during this process, to taste. Adjust as needed.
• When you add your final ladle-full of broth, mix in the cheese.
• Remove from the heat and mix in the chives and half of the truffle oil. Use the rest of the truffle oil when serving.

We both loved this, and the white truffle oil added a nice earthiness. The next day, I turned the leftovers into risotto balls, my favorite way to use up leftover risotto.

To anyone out there scared of making risotto, don't be! I know that if you have watched any show featuring Gordon Ramsey yelling at his cooks, you must be scared as he makes it seem like an almost impossible art. But believe me, it is not difficult. Yes, it takes some time and attention, but you do not have to stand over the stove and stir the entire time. Also, it's not as time consuming as you may think. From the time you start the shallots to finish, it's about 35-40 minutes. And there are endless ingredient possibilities, so experiment and have fun!