Roman grain risotto "Meraner Land" with alpine and Mediterranean fruits and goat cheese

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• n. B. Butter for sautéing
• 1 shallot(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 200 g emmer, ground or regular emmer
• e.g. red wine (Vernatsch)
• 1 apple
• 1 peach(s)
• 1 pear(s)
• 1 quince(s)
• e.g. vegetable broth
• 25 g goat cheese (Algund)
• 25 g goat cheese (hard goat cheese)
• e.g. butter flakes
• e.g. salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

a dish that might have been eaten in the region 2000 years ago

Finely chop the garlic and shallots and sauté in a little butter. Add the emmer rice or regular emmer that has been soaked and swollen overnight and toast. Finally, deglaze with Vernatsch (Swiss Vernatsch), then add half of the diced fruit, stirring continuously until the liquid has evaporated. The more and longer you stir the ingredients over the bottom of the pan with or without liquid, the more toasted ingredients will develop and the more flavorful the risotto will be. People also say “the more you stir,” but it’s really about the toasted ingredients. Continue adding stock with a ladle and reduce, stirring constantly, until the emmer has the consistency you like best. When the grains have the right consistency, remove the grain risotto from the heat and stir in another quarter of the diced fruit, the grated cheese, and a few flakes of butter. Season the risotto to taste and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes, which will allow the grain risotto to become creamier. Garnish the risotto with the remaining quarter of the fruit cubes and serve. The remaining wine is a great accompaniment. This is a dish that might have been eaten 2,000 years ago in the Merano Basin, one of the hottest spots in Italy, in the middle of the Via Claudia Augusta, the first road across the Alps connecting Europe.