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Recipe: Lemon Risotto

Nothing says springtime in Italy like lemons. Festivals across the country, especially on the Amalfi Coast and in Sicily, celebrate all things lemon every spring. You’ll find village stalls stocked with lemon cakes, lemon marmalade, limoncello, lemon-scented soaps and lotions, and of course, barrels and barrels of fresh lemons. An essential part of life in Italy, culinary traditions related to the lemon are a great source of pride and passion for Italians. This lemon risotto recipe – one of my all-time favorites – is certainly a celebration of that culinary passion.

In the kitchen, we often turn to lemon for enhancing flavors, but in many dishes it’s essential in refining a dish. This particular lemon risotto recipe calls for preserved lemon – a true culinary magician. If you want to prepare this recipe before you have a chance to make your own preserved lemon, you can purchase it – try your local specialty grocer or choose from the many offerings online, such as Moroccan Market through Amazon. The aromatic fragrance and silken texture of preserved lemon add a unique and unmistakable dimension to salads, pasta, tagines and sauces. In this particular risotto, it elevates the flavor profile and it makes it a really memorable dish. I’ve never served this risotto without my dinner guests asking for the recipe – or at least the secret!

Lemon Risotto Recipe
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped shallots
1 thyme sprig
½ cup dry white wine, preferably Northern Italian
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock, hot
1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup fresh peas, blanched
3 tablespoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon (see recipe below)
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large heavy-bottomed rondeau over medium-high heat, warm the butter and oil. Add the shallots and thyme and sweat the shallots until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and parch, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Remove the thyme and decrease the heat to medium. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the stock ¼ cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the stock before adding more. Continue stirring constantly until all stock is absorbed and the rice is creamy and al dente, about 17 minutes. Stir in the cheese, peas and lemon zest. Garnish with the preserved lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preserved Lemon Recipe
Makes 1 Jar

INGREDIENTS
6 unwaxed lemons
2/3 cup kosher salt
1 ¼ cups lemon juice, plus more as needed

DIRECTIONS
Wash the lemons very well, scrubbing thoroughly.

Cut each lemon into 6 wedges and remove the seeds. Place the lemons in a sterilized glass jar and add the salt and lemon juice, adding more juice if needed to ensure the jar is nearly full and the lemons are completely covered. Seal the jar with an airtight lid and store in the back of the refrigerator. Rotate the jar daily for the first week.

Lemons will be ready to use after 4 to 6 weeks. To use the lemons, use a paring knife to remove the salty flesh and pith from the rind. Discard the flesh and pith. Slice, dice or mince the rind for use.

About Director of Culinary Enrichment & Executive Chef Kathryn Kelly
Celebrating a decade with Oceania Cruises, Chef Kelly’s passion for adult learning has been the driving force behind The Culinary Center since first developing it with Oceania Cruises Co-founder Bob Binder in 2011. While overseeing a faculty of dedicated Chef Instructors, she is the chief architect of more than 100 unique culinary classes as well as our popular Culinary Discovery Tours™, which are immersive chef-led excursions offered in more than 40 destinations worldwide. Chef Kelly is an honors graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, completed her doctoral studies in epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and also holds dual master’s degrees in Community Medicine and Public Health. Chef Kelly resides on Amelia Island and is an avid golfer, proud grandmother and heritage seed gardener.