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Risotto al Gorgonzola
Created by Chef Graziella
The blue-veined cheese of Lombardy stirred into rice that has been coaxed to creaminess through patience and proper technique. Bold flavor achieved through restraint, not excess.
This is not a dish for those who fear strong cheese. Gorgonzola has character. It announces itself. But in risotto, something remarkable happens: the rice tempers the cheese's sharpness while the cheese transforms the rice into something almost sinfully rich.
You will notice there is no cream in this recipe. Americans add cream to risotto because they do not understand where the creaminess should come from. It comes from the starch. It comes from the butter stirred in at the end. It comes from the cheese itself as it melts into the hot rice. Cream is a crutch for those who have not mastered technique.
Use Gorgonzola dolce, the younger, sweeter version. Gorgonzola piccante, which is aged and sharp, will overpower the rice. You want the cheese to be a partner, not a bully. And the rice must be Carnaroli if you can find it. Arborio will do, but Carnaroli holds its shape better through the long stirring.
Ingredients
chicken or vegetable broth
Quantity
6 cups
unsalted butter
Quantity
4 tablespoons
divided
shallot
Quantity
1 medium
minced fine
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| chicken or vegetable broth | 6 cups |
| unsalted butterdivided | 4 tablespoons |
| shallotminced fine | 1 medium |
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