risotto + thanksgiving leftovers

risotto method + some ideas for what leftovers to incorporate

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i learned this month that risotto is an absolutely delicious and comforting vehicle for roasted vegetable leftovers. it started when my friend jonah had me over at his place, the spot, where he cooks delicious meals and hosts lovely dinners and parties. one of the many dishes he cooked for us was kabocha with roasted hazelnuts and a herby anchovy salad. i loved every single dish i had that night, but this was arguably my favorite. 

so, a few days later, i went to the farmers market and got myself some delicata squash to remake the dish (subbing with pistachios as that’s the nut i had on hand). the following day i was wondering how to use up the leftovers and thought it would be delicious with risotto. i made some risotto flavored with white wine, onion, miso, and parm-rind broth, and finished with a little butter and parm and the leftover roasted squash and herbs. it was delicious. 

then i thought to myself, what other roasted fall veg would be delicious on top of plain-ish risotto? i decided to try brussels sprouts next. i cooked off some guanciale, then roasted some brussels sprouts in the guanciale fat - saving the brussels sprout leaves that fell off when i was slicing them in half. then i made the risotto by toasting it in the remaining guanciale fat before adding some alcoholic dry cider (i had run out of white cooking wine). i then blended up a half onion, some garlic and an anchovy and mixed this into the cooking rice. 2 minutes before the rice was done cooking i added the brussels sprout leaves that had fallen off (this was a delicious addition). when done cooking i mixed in a little bit of butter and a little bit of parm, and to finish just gently mixed in the roasted brussels sprouts and guanciale and dug in. it was also delicious.

at this moment that i realized i had basically taken a future thanksgiving side and added it to risotto.

so, for one last one i decided to lean into thanksgiving and blend up some roasted carrots to stir into a risotto along with some spinach i had quickly sauteed in garlic and onions and butter earlier in the week (this is my favorite way to use up heartier leaves if they are beginning to die). i topped it all with some sliced roasted carrots, and some butter-fried sage leaves. also also delicious. 

all this to say, i am now a big proponent of taking thanksgiving vegetable leftovers and turning it into risotto the following day. personally, i find it more comforting than a sandwich, and i think we could all use something a little comforting these days. 

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risotto method

this is a method and not a recipe, because i cannot remember the last time i followed a recipe for risotto - so while the times in the method are important, please do note the quantities can vary - if you don’t want to use as much wine don’t (and feel free to use other alcoholic beverages that will suit the flavor pairings - i really did enjoy the dry hard cider), if you want to add more butter feel free to do so, and the amount of stock you will use up depends on how hot your pots are. then jazz up this risotto base with any vegetables or sauces you want to add more flavor.

ingredients:

50-60g of butter (or other fat, or a mix of two fats, eg. guanciale fat and butter) (divided in two portions, one for the beginning and one for the end)

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice,

2 cups white wine or in the case of thanksgiving leftovers maybe some dry alcoholic cider

6-8 cups stock/broth (parm-rind, vegetable, chicken, beef, fish, or anything flavorful really)

1 onion

a few cloves of garlic

any other flavorings you want to add at the beginning, eg. and anchovy, miso etc.

30g heavy cream (optional)

parm cheese

and whatever vegetables or leftovers you’re eating the dish with.

method:

it all starts with a good broth, usually i use a parm-rind broth. (i save the rinds and keep them in a bag in the freezer. once i have too many parm rinds, i make a big batch of parm broth, reduce it to a concentrate, and store it in the freezer. i can then defrost some and dilute it with water any time i want to use it as a broth.)

in a medium-pot, warm up your broth. it should remain at a low simmer during the entire cooking process. 

while that is warming, start on the rest (if cooking a vegetable to eat with the risotto, like mushrooms, do so in a pan first, set the vegetable aside on a plate, and wipe the pan clean if needed eg. if you have some burned spots). i start by slicing an onion into small bits and let it sweat in a wide pan set over medium (do not go high!) heat for 3 minutes with about 30g of butter and salt.

once the onion is cooked down a bit, i will add about 10g more butter to the pan and my rice. at this point, i’ll set a timer for 20 minutes and 30 seconds and i’ll stir as i let the rice toast in the butter for 2 minutes exactly, then add in the white wine. let this boil off, and then add your parm stock 1 ladle at a time, stirring after each addition. let the broth and rice boil away together, and add more broth once the pan starts to look dry. the risotto should be at a low boil, not too hot, otherwise you have to stir constantly and use a ton of broth.

when not stirring and ladle-ing, i begin finely chopping some garlic (maybe an anchovy) and add this to the pan. then i prepare any raw vegetable/garnish additions (say spinach or brussels sprouts leaves stirred in at the end or some herby garnish). i also use this time to grate my cheese. 

if you run out of stock, it will be okay, just add some water to the pot with a little more white wine (if you’re willing to part with it) or anything else you can use to flavor the water (like bouillon if you think it will pair well with what you’re making). 

2 minutes before your timer goes off, this is a great time to incorporate any veg you pre-cooked or are leftovers or are leftovers that you pureed (eg. squash or carrots). if there is a crispy component to the vegetable or leftover, do not add this until the risotto is on the plate.

1 minute before your timer goes off, check the viscosity. when you plate your risotto it should be homogenous and should spread across the plate if you were to give it a little shake. no broth running out, but not thick either. if you have some broth running out 1 minute before the timer goes off, this is good, do not add any more liquid (or just add the tinsiest bit extra depending on how liquid it is looking), it should cook off in the next minute. if it is looking a little stiff, add one final (maybe half) ladle of broth.

when the timer goes off and your rice is perfectly cooked, turn off the heat, add a bit of cream or butter, and grate some parm over the top. add more cheese and colatura if you have it. that’s it, enjoy. 

again, feel free to inquire about any thanksgiving risotto mix-ins in the comments! i bet there is a delicious version out there with homemade stock from leftover turkey bones, some of your leftover roasted vegetables, and some pieces of turkey meat...