Roman grain risotto "Imst Gurgltal" with bacon, mushrooms, pear, grapes and mountain cheese

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• e.g. butter
• 1 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
• ½ onion(s), finely chopped
• 150 g spelt rice or unpolished spelt soaked overnight
• 150 g bacon, finely diced
• n. B. Beer from the region (e.g. Starkenberger)
• 75 g wild mushrooms or champignons, finely chopped
• ¼ pear(s), diced
• n. B. beef broth
• e.g. butter flakes
• 50 g mountain cheese, grated
• 8 grapes (grapes), halved
• e.g. salt and pepper
• n. B. Herbs, fresh, according to season

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

This is a dish that one might have eaten in the region 2,000 years ago.

Dice the garlic and onion and sauté in butter. Then add spelt rice or regular spelt soaked overnight (not milled like rice) and finely diced bacon, and lightly toast everything. Finally, deglaze with beer and add the finely chopped mushrooms and pear. Stir continuously until the liquid has evaporated (the more often you stir the grain risotto ingredients over the hot pan with little or no liquid, without letting them burn, the more toasted ingredients will develop and the more flavorful the grain risotto will be—that’s why they say, “the more you stir, the better it becomes”). Continue adding a ladleful of broth and reduce, stirring constantly, until the spelt rice or spelt has the consistency you like best. Then remove from the heat. Stir in the grated cheese, butter flakes, and the halved currants, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes, which will allow the grain risotto to become creamy. Finally, arrange the dish, garnish with fresh seasonal herbs to taste, and serve. Best served with the remaining beer.