Revolutionary Risotto

By CheeseDiva

Chef Massimo Bottura gave us the recipe for this creamy risotto, a take on the classic Roman pasta dish cacio e pepe that he developed after earthquakes devastated the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in 2012. Wanting to utilize the nearly 1,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano that were damaged in the disaster, he devised an ingenious technique. First, he simmers parmesan cheese in water, then refrige
rates it until it separates into three distinct layers: protein solids on the bottom, a thick broth in the middle, and a parmesan cream on top. The broth is slowly stirred into the risotto, taking the place of chicken stock, while the cream is added toward the end of cooking, giving the risotto a luxurious texture and little need for any additional salt.

Ingredients

• FOR THE PARMESAN BROTH:
• 2 lb. Parmigiano Reggiano, coarsely grated
• FOR THE RISOTTO:
• 6 cups parmesan broth
• 1 ⁄3 cup parmesan cream
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 medium shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parsley leaves, for garnish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the parmesan broth: Combine parmesan and 8 1⁄2 cups water in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-low. When the cheese becomes stringy, remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, and repeat heating once more. Refrigerate broth 8 hours or overnight. The next day, the broth should have separated into 3 distinct layers: a cream layer, on top; a broth layer, in the middle; and solids, on the bottom. Carefully remove the top cream layer and reserve. Strain the broth, discarding remaining solids (bottom layer).

Make the risotto: Heat broth in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat; set aside and keep warm. Heat butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to saucepan; cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add rice; cook 2 minutes. Add reserved stock 1⁄2 cup at a time, cooking until each addition is absorbed before adding more. Cook, stirring often, until rice is tender and creamy, about 20-22 minutes. Stir in parmesan cream and cracked pepper; garnish with parsley leaves.