Risotto With Spring Carrots and Leeks

You can get carrots and leeks year ‘round in the supermarket. In the spring, though, new carrots and leeks, fresh and sweet, come to farmers’ markets, and they’re perfect for this risotto.

Ingredients

• About 7 cups well seasoned chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ pound tender spring carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal*
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise, rinsed thoroughly and chopped
• Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
• 1 ½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or a combination of parsley, tarragon and marjoram or chives
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    597 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 89 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 19 milligrams cholesterol; 822 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves four to six

Preparation

1. Pour your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.
2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the carrots, leeks and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about three minutes. Add the rice, thyme and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle.
3. Add the wine, and stir over medium heat until it has almost evaporated. Begin adding the simmering stock, two ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion — adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, then stirring — for about 20 to 25 minutes. Taste a bit of the rice. It should be chewy but not hard in the middle. (If it is still hard in the middle, add more stock and cook for another five minutes or so.) Stir in the chopped fresh herbs, add pepper to taste, taste and adjust salt.
4. When the rice is cooked al dente, remove the pan from the heat and stir in another ladleful of stock, the Parmesan and lemon juice. The rice should be creamy. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping in a mound.

• Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe, cooking halfway through step 3 — that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove it from the heat, and there should be no liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan, and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, then transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen to 20 minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a simmer and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.

45 minutes