IHCC Potluck: Giada's Lemon Risotto

It's potluck time at I Heart Cooking Clubs!  Anything goes as long as that anything is from Giada.

Risotto is something I can really get behind.  Or in front of.  Or on the left or right.  As long as I'm in an arm's-reach-radius of the risotto, I'm happy.  I like eating it.  So creamy and smooth--makes me slow down and enjoy.  Like what happens in those International Coffee commercials only much less corny.  (Who am I kidding, I'm so corny I pop.  See?)  The world slows down around me and I simply enjoy the risotto.  But ya know, cooking risotto does the same thing for me.  It's like making a roux (and ya'll know I love that).  Slow and steady and mesmerizing.  As I stir (and stir and stir and stir), everything else shrinks away until...poof! 

But here's the thing.  I have no imagination when it comes to risotto.  When I make it, it's either mushroom or lemon.  Since my risotto repertoire is stunningly lacking, you'd think I would have tried something different.

Well why on Earth would you think that?  Bless your little heart...are you new here?

Even though I'm satisfied with the lemon risotto I've been making (from Food & Wine, with garlic seared shrimp), I tried Giada's.  And her's wins.  Except for one teensy little thing.

We liked Giada's lemon risotto more without the mascarpone.

What?!  Crazy talk you say?

The Husband made the risotto (b/c I was having some kind of hissy over something or other...but that's neither here nor there).  We both tasted it before he added the mascarpone and we loved it.  It was perfection.  Creamy, lemony heaven.  After the addition, the texture was...I don't know...off.  The Husband thought Giada maybe lacked some confidence here and added mascarpone to ensure a creamy risotto.   

Whatever the reason, it's easy enough to leave out.  And I can eat a second bowl since it'll have fewer calories.

This picture is not so good.
But trust me, Giada's Lemon Risotto is.

linked to:

Food on Friday: Rice & Grains @ Carole's Chatter

Printer friendly recipe
Lemon Risotto
from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites and Foodnetwork.com


2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
1 large shallot, diced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1/2 a lemon, zested and juiced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


In a medium saucepan bring the broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.




In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mascarpone cheese, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt and pepper.