Swiss Chard Risotto

I am somewhat embarrassed to post this recipe. I am still a newcomer to this dish. Don’t ask me why. It wasn’t on my radar until now. My husband is still recovering from his tongue cancer treatment, and risotto is something that slides down your throat more easily.

I found this recipe in a German calendar. The author is Elisabeth Raether. I love her recipes and her writing style. Her recipes are almost poetic. I wish I had her talent. I have a lot of Swiss chard in my garden, the only thing growing right now, which motivated me to try this recipe. I tried the recipe several times. At one point, I used a sharp blue cheese from my fridge, which resulted in a pretty bad risotto. My poor friends had to suffer through it. However, my third and fourth tries were successful. My husband requested a creamy risotto. My risotto wasn’t the creamiest, but it was loaded with Swiss chard. You can always adjust the amount of Swiss chard you want to add. If you don’t like Swiss chard, use mushrooms, asparagus, or peas instead. 

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I tried to educate myself to improve my risotto-making skills, and here is what I learned about making a creamy risotto. 
Use a rice like Arborio or Carnaroli, both high-starch varieties. 
Don’t rinse the rice because rinsing removes the surface starch you need for creaminess. 
Toasting the rice briefly in fat helps control how the starch is released later.
Add the warm liquid gradually, a little at a time. Let it absorb before adding more. This slow process rubs the grains together and releases starch into the sauce.
Keep the risotto loose, not too dry. Proper risotto should flow like lava, not be stiff like rice pilaf. But make sure it doesn’t get mushy. When you finish cooking the risotto, turn off the heat and add a knob of cold butter straight from the fridge. Please let me know if you have any more secrets for a creamy risotto. 
You can adjust the amount of Swiss chard to your liking. In my opinion, my risotto was a little too green; the next time, I will use less. I always add a few raisins when I saute Swiss chard. I like that. When I cooked it a second time, I added a handful of sauteed shiitake mushrooms I had in my fridge and used less Swiss chard. I sauteed the mushrooms with the Swiss chard stems. It added a nice umami flavor. I had to omit the shallots and white wine the recipe called for because my husband’s tongue starts burning when I add any kind of acidic food. If you decide to make this recipe, add 2 shallots to the stems when you saute them and deglaze the rice-vegetable mixture with ½ cup white wine. You can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. The original recipe called for 3 ounces of gorgonzola. I cut the amount way down because it was too strong a flavor in my opinion; however, a little bit adds a lot of flavor. This recipe is enough for 4 servings if you add a protein. 
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 Ingredients:
¾  cup Arborio rice
¼ cup freshly and finely grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 TBS of gorgonzola 
3-4 cups of Swiss chard, including the stems.
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2-3 TBS of butter
2 +TBS  olive oil. 
A few raisins (optional) 
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Wash the Swiss chard thoroughly, remove the stems, and tear the leaves into small pieces. Dry the stems, then slice them into very small pieces. ( ¼ inch) Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, then add the chard and, if using, the raisins and a splash of water. Cover the pan and cook the chard for a few minutes until wilted. Drain the chard in a colander. 
Get all your ingredients ready. Heat your broth. In a wide pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the stems and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until the edges are slightly translucent. If you are using white wine, pour it in now and stir until mostly absorbed. I used broth. Add about a ladle (½ cup) of warm broth at a time, stirring frequently until absorbed. Repeat this process, adding one ladle at a time and stirring the risotto. This process takes about 20-30 minutes. If you run out of broth, use warm water. You may need more or less broth, depending on the rice. Your rice should be tender but slightly firm in the center, with a creamy consistency. 
Squeeze out the Swiss chard, then chop it into very small pieces. Remove the rice from the oven, add the chard, parmesan, and gorgonzola, and mix thoroughly.  Add a little more broth for creaminess. Now add a knob of very cold butter, stir vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
Guten Appetit!
from the Sunnycovechef 
The recipe was adapted from ElizabethRather