Tangerine Risotto with Olive Oil and Dill
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
4
golfball size tangerines, preferably bright and acid as well as sweet
2 tbsp
butter
¼ c
finely chopped yellow onion or shallot
Salt
2 c
arborio rice
4 to 5 cups chicken stock, preferably very rich and flavorful
⅓ c
mascarpone or creme fraiche
½
lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil, preferably pungent and fresh, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Freshly chopped dill, for serving
Parmesan, for serving
Tangerine Risotto with Olive Oil and Dill
Rich and tangy, creamy and bright, this risotto is inspired by Judy Rodger’s Citrus Risotto in The Zuni Café cookbook. Best when all the parts are their best, so use really flavorful stock, seek out tangerines that are bright and acidic, not just sweet and find olive oil.
2-4 small servings
- Peel the tangerines then separate the segments into individual pieces. Rid them of as much as stringy membrane as possible. Slice the segments into halves, quarters and leave a few whole–irregularity is okay. Discard any seeds on the way and set the tangerine aside in a small bowl.
- Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in a high-sided skillet, sauce pot or small to medium Dutch oven. Add the onion or shallot, if using, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until they’re softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until coated in the buttery onion. Add 2 cups of stock and bring to a gentle simmer, adjusting the heat to keep it so. Stir occasionally until most of the stock is absorbed then keep adding more stock, in batches, stirring along the way until the risotto looks like a “shiny porridge of pearls” as Judy Rodgers says and the rice is perfectly al dente. Taste, season with salt and taste again. Turn heat down to low.
- Stir in the tangerine pieces and any liquid in the bowl along with a fresh squeeze of lemon. Then, stir in the mascarpone until combined.
- Plate the risotto in plates, slightly shaking the plate to flatten the risotto into a topographical scape. Drizzle the olive oil over, sprinkle the black pepper and dill, and grate some Parmesan over the top and serve immediately.
- Add the rice and stir until the grains are warm and coated with fat. Add about 2 cups of the stock, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, then stir as needed until it has been mostly absorbed. Add another cup of stock and repeat. The risotto should look like a shiny porridge of pearls. Taste: The rice will still be hard and a little raw tasting. Correct the satiny liquid for salt. Add another 1/2 cup or so of stock and stir as needed until just absorbed. Taste again, checking flavor and doneness.
- Break the citrus sections into irregular pieces as you add them, and the grapefruit juice, to the risotto. Continue to cook as described above. Taste again. If the rice is still quite firm, add more stock about a tablespoon at a time and cook until it is al dente, with a little firmness still in the center. If your grapefruit was very juicy, you may use little of the remaining stock. Turn off the heat and, with a little vigor, stir in the mascarpone. The citrus will be reduced to pretty flecks in the creamy rice. Serve promptly.
Christian Reynoso
Christian is a California based chef, writer, and freelance recipe developer. He spent the last five years cooking as sous chef at Zuni Café. He has a bi-monthly cooking column in the San Francisco Chronicle and has words in Edible Magazine, Food52, and Epicurious. When he's not at home he's traveling to Mexico, exploring its cuisine and his heritage.