Apple Prosciutto Risotto

Risotto is my favorite comfort food. I guess with the stress of back to school I have needed a lot of comfort, because I made this recipe for the past two weekends! This recipe has a sweet/saltly flavor which I really like. I prefer to use apple cider to make this recipe, but I had some leftover apple juice which seemed to work fine. And this is another one of the those recipes that I usually just make without a recipe - the amounts are approximate.


Apple Prosciutto Risotto

2 cups apple cider (or juice)
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/8 cup chopped prosciutto
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the kind in the can!)
salt and pepper

1) Combine cider and broth in a small saucepan and heat until warm. (You want the liquid to be warm so it doesn't stop the cooking when you add it to your rice.) Keep it on your burner over low heat.
2) Heat another large pan (I use a Dutch oven) and add the tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Then add the apple. rosemary, and prosciutto and stir for about one minute.
3) Ad the arborio rice. Stir for about a minute, or until the rice is nicely coated.
4) Add about a half cup of the broth/juice mixture and stir until absorbed. Keep slowly adding the broth (I usually use a soup ladle), stirring after each addition . The process takes about 15 minutes. You might not need all the broth. The risotto is done when the rice is cooked but not mushy and there is a creamy sauce. I usually add a touch more broth when I remove it from the heat.
5) Add the parmesan cheese and stir into the risotto. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. If you want, you can also add a bit more butter or olive oil to give a richer taste.
6) Serve with a little more parmesan cheese and rosemary on top.

LAZY WAY TO COOK RISOTTO: Some days I just don't feel like sitting at the stove for 20 minutes stirring rice. So after adding and stirring the first ladle of broth, I add most of the remaining broth and I stick the pan in a 400 degree preheated oven. I have a nice heavy pan with metal handles that works perfect for this. Every 5 minutes I check the risotto and stir. It takes about 15 minutes to cook. The only danger with this is that the rice can go from perfectly cooked to mushy rather quickly, so you really have to watch it! I remove the pan when the rice is almost cooked and it still looks a bit soupy. I put it back on the heat and stir for another minute and add the remaining ingredients.