Dark risotto with beetroot

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 cup risotto rice, dark (Gran Nero), approx. 200 – 250 ml content
• 1 cube of chicken stock
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• n. B. white wine
• n. B. Salt and pepper, from the mill
• e.g. olive oil
• 80 g butter, ice-cold
• 50 g Parmesan, grated
• 50 g blue cheese (Österkron)
• 1 beetroot
• 1 onion(s), red
• 2 cloves garlic
• n. B. red wine
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• e.g. chives
• n. B. Wild garlic
• e.g. horseradish (Kren)

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Risotto with a twist

First, make the risotto. To do this, sauté the finely chopped onion with a dash of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the dark rice and fry everything for a good minute. Deglaze with a generous splash of white wine and add enough boiling water (tip: from a kettle) to just cover the rice. Now add the chicken stock cube, salt, and pepper. Stir and simmer gently over medium heat. As soon as the water has evaporated or been absorbed by the rice, simply cover with more boiling water. Caution: Dark rice often takes twice as long to cook as white risotto rice (about 20 minutes), so keep an eye on the rice and stir frequently. Peel and finely dice the beetroot (it’s best to wear disposable gloves). Peel the red onion, also finely dice it, and sauté it in a pan or saucepan. After about 1-2 minutes, add the beetroot and sauté for a further 3-5 minutes (tip: sprinkle a little salt over the beetroot to draw out some of the water). Deglaze with a generous splash of red wine and simmer gently over medium heat with the lid on, stirring frequently with a spoon. Add a little water as needed, but only enough to prevent sticking. After about 5-10 minutes, the beetroot will be firm to the bite, depending on its size and freshness. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and horseradish. At the end of the risotto, make sure that the water has evaporated or been absorbed and that the consistency is sloppy, but the rice is still slightly grainy (this is the difficult part of risotto; with a bit of practice, you’ll quickly get the hang of it). Finally, garnish with the Parmesan and blue cheese and remove from the heat. Cut the cold butter into 3 pieces and add. Stir until it has dissolved and the risotto has a nice shine and the perfect consistency. Finally, remove the beetroot from the heat and stir in a spoonful of sour cream. Finely chop the chives and the wild garlic and sprinkle over the risotto. Stir briefly and serve. Tip: For decoration and flavor, I put fresh spinach or arugula in a bowl with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil, mix everything together, and then pour it over the dark risotto right at the table. This adds freshness and color to the dish.