Aug 26, 20213 min read

SUMMER RISOTTO WITH GRILLED CORN & TOMATOES

A simple homemade risotto recipe with white wine, butter, and Parmigiano. Topped with a quick summer salad of grilled corn, tomatoes, and herbs! This sweet corn risotto is summertime comfort food.

We’ll start with a pretty basic risotto recipe: Just arborio rice (short-grain Italian rice with plenty of starch to give us that ultra-creamy texture), garlic and onion, white wine, and plenty of chicken stock. This simple risotto gets topped with a quick summer salad of grilled corn, cherry or heirloom tomatoes, a splash of lemon, and plenty of fresh basil. (Don’t skip grilling the corn if you can help it – it adds a ton of flavor!)

SUMMER RISOTTO WITH GRILLED CORN & TOMATOES

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 45 mins | Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE RISOTTO

● 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (you’ll use half at the beginning and half at the end)

● 1/2 yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

● 1 clove garlic, minced

● 2 cups arborio rice

● 1 cup dry white wine (we like Chardonnay)

● 5 cups chicken/ vegetable stock (you may not need all of it)

● 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

● salt to taste

FOR THE CORN & TOMATO SALAD

● 3 ears grilled corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups)

● 1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes, halved

● 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

● 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

● salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE RISOTTO

● Melt half of the unsalted butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Set the remaining butter aside for later.

● Add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent.

● Add arborio rice and a pinch of salt to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently until rice has absorbed any remaining butter, about one minute.

● Add white wine to skillet to deglaze. Stir to incorporate, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7-10 minutes or until the rice has absorbed most of the wine.

● Add one cup of chicken stock and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until rice has absorbed nearly all of the stock. (You should be able to drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan without seeing any large pools of liquid). Repeat this process, adding one cup of stock at a time and letting the rice absorb it between each addition until rice is cooked. As you near the end of the cooking process, you may want to add stock in smaller increments – half or even quarter cups – so as not to overcook the rice. Taste and add salt as needed between each addition: the only surefire way to know when your risotto is “done” is to taste it! When your risotto is ready, the rice should have a slight bite to it and be creamy but not stiff or gummy. When you drag a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan, the finished risotto should slowly seep back into space.

● When rice is cooked, remove the risotto from the heat (if you have a gas stove, turn off your burner; if you have an electric stove, turn off your burner and move the risotto pan to a cooler spot on your stove).

● Stir remaining unsalted butter and Parmigiano cheese into your risotto. Give it a taste and add salt if necessary. Top with the corn and tomato salad and serve immediately.

FOR THE CORN & TOMATO SALAD

● While the risotto cooks, add grilled corn kernels, tomatoes, basil, and lemon juice to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the risotto.

GET YOUR INGREDIENTS

Buy Authentic ITALIAN INGREDIENTS

Order authentic delicious Italian rice for this dish like - Parmigiano Reggiano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and an array of Italian Rice with us. Contact us at italicswineclub@indiaitaly.com or call +91 9811392313 for more information.

By placing an order through this email, you will benefit from a 10% discount on the products' MRP. If you are a member of the IICCI and/or of the IICCI's Italics Wine Clubs in India, you will be eligible for a 25% discount!