Artichoke and Swiss Risotto

I'm enjoying working out of my pantry and freezer far more than I expected.  Yes, it's the inspiration for this entire blog, but I've been doing too much "prepping" of long-term foods for my comfort level.  That means my freezer is clogged with veggies, while perishables like cheese get forgotten in the dairy drawer.

While deciding what to make, I remembered the half a block of Swiss cheese.  Then Alton and Elizabeth did risotto on QQ.  That was a short trip.  I decided to use the brick of frozen artichokes, some homemade chicken stock out of the freezer, and open a bag of Arborio rice that I had picked up at Ralphs the last time I went there looking for red lentils.  Not sure why Kroger is the only major chain that stocks store-brand red lentils, but that's where I go for them.

Risotto takes a while because of the nature of Arborio rice, but it is not difficult.  You just can't leave the room to do other stuff for 15 minutes because you have to check on it every 5 or so.  If you just resign yourself to being tethered to the stove for half an hour and put on a podcast or something, it can be a soothing process.

1-1/4 C arborio rice
*3 C chicken stock, more to taste
*1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Tb olive oil
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1/4 C dry white wine, optional
*8 oz frozen artichoke quarters, thawed
*1 C shredded Swiss cheese
salt and white pepper to taste

1.  In a saucepan, bring chicken stock to a low simmer.  Set a ladle in it and keep it near the main burner.

2.  In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium.  Add onion and cook until softened.  Add garlic and a few shakes of white pepper and salt and cook until fragrant.

3.  Alton rinsed his rice in the stock at this point before adding it to the pot.  That got a little messy in my house, but it did produce a creamy product.  Whether you decide to do it rinsed or dry, the rice goes in the pot next.  Toast it lightly with the onion mixture for about 3 minutes.

4.  If using the wine, it goes in next.  Cook until absorbed/cooked off.  Then start ladling in the stock half a cup at a time.  Stir it in, then let cook, uncovered, until absorbed before adding the next ladle.  You want to be able to control the consistency of the rice.  If all the liquid goes in at the same time, or even too much at once, it's harder to judge when it's done.

5.  Once the three cups of stock are in, stir in the artichokes.  They will change the moisture content.  Bring mixture back up to a simmer, then add shredded Swiss cheese.  Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  You want the rice al dente.  If it's still too firm, add another ladle of stock (or water if you're out).  Once desired consistency is reached, ladle out onto plates or into bowls and serve, perhaps with a side salad.

Difficulty rating  π