Guest Post: Spring Risotto with Leeks, Peas, Mint, and Preserved Meyer Lemon

Remember those awesome preserved Meyer lemons I was given a while ago? Well, they were a gift from today's lovely guest poster, Ingrid. I'm glad to have another cooking suggestion for them, but mostly I'm glad that Ingrid agreed to guest post this super-spring risotto. It seems like the perfect thing for a big Sunday dinner in coolish April. The kind of meal that says, gather round, loved ones. Let's eat some rice.


olive oil and butter
1 1/2 cups of risotto rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli
3 to 4 cups of broth
1 cup of drinkable white wine
1 medium onion
1 large leek
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 lb of peas (frozen peas are perfect for this, as they tend to be frozen at the height of sweetness)
one bunch of mint (reserve some sprigs for garnish if you're serving it to company)
one bunch of flat leaf parsley
grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
preserved Meyer lemon, chopped (or, substitute with a squeeze of fresh lemon)
capers

Disclaimer: Everyone who cooks risotto with some regularity will inevitably develop their own methods, forgoing exact measurements in favor of what "feels right." For this recipe, I measured out the amounts that felt appropriate, for the sake of clear communication because when I try a completely new recipe, especially if it has to do with baking, I find directions like "knead until ingredients come together" or "boil until sugar reaches soft ball stage" annoyingly imprecise because I am afraid of failure. Despite what you might have heard, risotto is forgiving and open to on-the-fly interpretation. Besides adjusting the amount of olive oil and butter, rice and broth, you might experiment with adding herbs at different stages, using red wine in lieu of white, or even substituting pearl barley and farro for rice.

Bring the stock up to a simmer and keep it there throughout the cooking process. Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, and leek. Leeks tend to have dirt and grit stuck between their layers, so be sure to carefully wash between them before chopping.

Pour enough olive oil into a pan to coat the bottom. I like to use a 2.5 quart pan for this amount of risotto - you want to choose a pan that doesn't have too much "floor," or so much surface area that the liquid evaporates too quickly. Add a few tablespoons of butter, and when the butter has melted completely, toss in the onion, garlic, and leek. Cook on medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can use this time to wash and finely chop the mint and parsley.

With the broth simmering on a nearby burner and an open bottle of white wine at your side, add the rice to the leek mixture. Stir or toss for about a minute, coating the rice with oil and butter, then add a small handful of parsley, toss again, and add the white wine. Continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the wine, reduce the heat ever so slightly, and add a ladleful of broth. Stir until absorbed, then add another ladle of broth. Personally, I judge the rice ready for more broth whenever I can draw the wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan without liquid quickly filling in the space behind. (see image to the right) Keep up this process until the rice is al dente: tender, not crunchy, not mushy.

With the risotto now on very low heat, add the mint, defrosted peas, and capers. The peas come up to temperature quickly, at which point you can take the pan off the stove, add another pat of butter and about 1/2 cup of grated cheese, and whip the risotto quickly with your wooden spoon (in Italian, this step is called manticare).

Season the risotto with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Garnish with preserved Meyer lemon or a squeeze of fresh lemon to brighten up the flavors.