Lemon Risotto

The lemon juice may be too much for your taste buds so add it gradually to taste. This dish must be closely guarded the entire time—stir constantly while adding the stock, and sample when the last cup of stock has been added and absorbed to check if the desired bite has been achieved. Serve right away and consume in one sitting.

Serves 6 to 8  Prep Time 10 minutes  Cooking Time 35 minutes

2 lemons (about 3 tablespoons juice)
a pinch of saffron
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 1/2 cups short grain rice
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock, at the boil
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chopped oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese for garnish

1  Zest the lemons (the yellow portion only, avoiding any of the white pith) and finely dice the zest. Juice the lemon and set aside with a pinch of saffron soaking in the juice.

2  Heat a 4-liter saucepan over a medium flame and add the oil, onions, and chili flakes. Cook the onions until they start to turn a golden hue.

3  Add the rice and lemon zest, and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Start adding the stock and white wine into the rice mixture one ladleful at a time and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid or it has evaporated.

4  Continue until all the stock has been added then add the reserved lemon juice with the saffron, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper.

5  Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is softened throughout—this will take about 25 minutes.

6  Serve immediately with some shaved Parmesan cheese on top.

Recipe by Richard Ruben for USDA/FAS Manila │ Photography by David Hanson │ Food & Prop Styling by Sharlene Tan

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