Surprisingly amici, we made it to Easter 🐇 and the Spring veggies and fruits 🍓and as customary, we are sharing with you one of our risotto recipes that you can make into 3 different versions, according to your preferences and occasions.
We are sure that at least one of these 3 versions will save your meal bringing you culinary stardom among your family and friends.
To us risotto is conforting, elegance, tradition, history and identity and this is why it is often what we teach in our cooking classes, available online too.
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| chocolate, one of Turin's core biz since the late 1600s |
Not only is risotto one of our regional staple first courses, but it is also a major ace because being gluten free and easily made vegan, it can make most of your guests happy.
We'd also like to remind you all that risotto is a cooking method not just a dish and that Piedmont is the top rice producer in Europe and the 5th rice producer in the world!
Cycling buddies, put Piedmont and its rice paddies on your travel itinerary, because you can cycle along the Po River, through our rice paddies up to the Adriatic Sea and enjoy our amazing wilderness.
Hikers, skiers and mountain lovers, don't be surprised to find a risotto in all our Turin restaurant menus, especially up in the mountain huts!
City followers, you are already very much familiar with golden risotto alla milanese owing its golden hues to luscious saffron powder but... risotto is actually a staple of all Northern Italian cuisine where we make it at least once a week, every week.
In Turin, in particular, we even have risotto restaurants where you can choose your risotto among 25 different combos.
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| risotto is stirred and spread out to allow the edges cool down so that you don't burn your mouth |
Risotto only takes 15 minutes to reach its al dente texture; like cookies, it can be made with virtually any ingredient - fresh or dried - and it easily transforms any meal into a royal feast!
Therefore, we recommend your pantry always has some white rice, some stock, saffron powder (for flavor, not only the color), possibly a bottle of some alcohol drink and seasonal veggies, berries and parm in your fridge.
As risotto simmers in stock, any vegetable, fish, meat or homemade stock, ready to use-store bought or even bouillon cubes will do.
Rice wise, any rice variety you happen to have at home will do, however, for a truly authentic Northern Italian risotto, you may want to buy some Italian rice variety such as Arborio, Carnaroli or other Italian short grain.
Please, remember, that most Italians living abroad, just use any of the rice varieties they can find, long grain rice included.
What really matters is the preparation and the creaminess: risotto isn't soupy but creamy!
The onion issue: the traditional recipe calls for some finely chopped onion because in the past, rice was stored in sacks and it smelled, thus in order to get rid of that sack smell that persisted beyond the cooking, chefs and cooks used to sauté it in butter and very finely chopped onion to cover it up and add flavor.
Today, this step is no longer required as the rice we buy is fresh, clean and vacuum sealed without any extra scent.
By all means though, if you want to keep the old tradition alive, you can always add this step, otherwise, you are allowed to skip it.
... or do it like us, sub the onion for a small amount of fresh chopped ginger 😉
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| artisan Easter dove cake or colomba, a panettone relative |
Wine: after sautéing the rice in the butter to seal the grains, Italians usually pour half a glass of white wine and let it evaporate. This step is the same to make a risotto base AND also a basic risotto.
However, by simply using red wine, beer or hard liquor, and easily, you'll give your personal touch to your risotto and amaze your guests.
So this Easter 2025 we are sharing a very versatile risotto risotto recipe with gin.
Gin and lemon risotto: in 3 versions
plain, vegetarian - easily vegan or with scampi
🎈Gin risotto is alcohol-free and suitable for kids too because the alcohol component evaporates at the very beginning of the cooking process but it still adds a delicate aroma.
Quantities are for 4 regular Italian portions as part of a menu with other dishes:
- 80 gr / 1/2 Cup of rice per person
- 1 T of EVOO
- 125 ml /1/2 Cup gin -
- zest of 1 organic lemon
- 1 liter / 4 Cups of vegetable stock
optional:
- 2 tsp of fresh chopped ginger or
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp of heavy cream per person or vegan version
- pepper
Veg version:
- veggies of choice if making it veg: peas, fava beans, asparagus, kohlrabi, carrots, etc... and
- some watercress to garnish or other fresh herb you like
- 4-6 tbsp of grated parmigiano or vegan version
Scampi version:
- 8 scampi and
- a blended avocado and
Use a wooden spoon to stir and fork to taste the cooking degree you prefer.
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| gin risotto with kohlrabi, photo courtesy of Fooby |
1 - If you are adding vegetables, clean them and cut them.
If you are adding the scampi, remove the shell, devine them, quickly cook them in a hot pan for 2 minutes, dice them and set aside.
2 - Warm up the stock
3 - Chop the fresh ginger or onion if you are using it, and add it to a pot with the EVOO.
Cook it for 2-3min. The onion will get transluscent, while the ginger will be cooked.
Skip this ☝if you aren't using ginger or onion.
4 - Add your raw rice and veggies if you are including any. Stir till the rice is transluscent.
5 - Add the gin, stir well, till it is fully absorbed
6 - Add the stock till fully covering the rice (and the veggies if any) and let it simmer. As the stock gets absorbed, add another ladle and so on till reaching 15 minutes of simmering.
7 - with a fork, grab a couple grains and taste them, al dente feels uncooked to most non-Italian palates, if this is your feeling, add more stock and try again till it reaches the right texture.
We don't recommend you cook it for over 20 minutes.
If you finish the stock, don't panic, just add some lukewarm water.
8 - if adding the scampi at the end, blend the avocado as if you were making a guacamole
9 - grate the lemon zest
10 - turn off the stove
11- add the parm to the plain and vegetable versions and the heavy cream to the one that will include scampi and guac.
12 - add the lemon zest, stir well and look at your plain or veg risotto.
Does it look dry? if yes, add more grated (vegan) parm and /or some (vegan) heavy cream.
13 - stir well and let the risotto set for 5 minutes before serving.
Wash and paper dry the watercress to decorate your plain and veg risotto.
14 - Portion the risotto in pasta plates (no bowls) or dinner plates*:
the plain version is ready but if you wish, you can add some watercress on top
the veg version is served with some watercress on top
the scampi version includes a scoop of guacamole in the center and some scampi cubes all around it.
All versions can be lightly dusted with some black pepper.
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| gin risotto with scampi and avocado, photo courtesy of Il Cucchiaio D'Argento |
Pair your risotto with...
Ideally you'll enjoy this risotto with some gin but you can also keep our Piedmont terroir one of our Piedmont wines!
Piedmont white wines:
Arneis DOCG aka the 'white Barolo' - the king of Italian reds
Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG, either still or sparkling!
Sparkling dry:
Explore all the innovative wines by L'Erm winery and your palates will thank you!
Don't rule out beer 🍺
Turin has always produced many craft beers and Piedmont is today the 2nd Italian beer producer! Look up for Baladin - needless to tell you, they have a nice bar inside our ✈ TRN Turin airport too!
For more risotto recipes click here
From our family to yours, may you have a great Easter 🐣and many wonderful meals with your dear ones 🌷
📧email Lucia: turinepi@gmail.com
Turin and Piedmont will amaze you 🎇
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| tell me you are in Turin without saying you are in Torino 😎 |
