Well, after my “Rise and Shine in Orange” this had to come!

I confess I was a bit dubious about it when I first considered the idea of a risotto with such an ingredient. But then why not? I had seen other audacious pairings in the past, it was worth giving it a try.

And yes! It is worth it! After all as I said in Everything you need to know about Risotto, adding some creativity is alway worth the effort.

For this risotto the basics are the same, but I skipped the white wine, the juice of bergamot provides enough acidity to the dish. I also avoided extra butter at the end because I wanted to keep the fresh lightness of the dish.

One added benefit; while cooking it you’ll get the fresh scent of bergamot like when using the Essential oils to scent the house!

Risotto with Bergamot

Ingredients:

• Rice (for 4 people 300 gr)

• 1 Bergamot, medium size

• Salt to taste.

• Vegetable broth (don’t use meat broth)

• A small onion finely chopped

A note; I always sauttéed my onion slowly but for as long as it takes to be mushy and transparent. That way the taste of onion will blend better and won’t stand out.

Once your onion is done, add the rice and blend until all glazed, add the bergamot juice–strain it if necessary to avoid seeds and skins–adjust salt according to your taste.

Pour the vegetable stock one ladle at a time and proceed to the usual cooking of the rice for the necessary time (usually between 16 to 18 minutes).

Serve immediately!

And one more note; the pan you use for your risotto is important. A wide one is perfect as the broth does evaporate quickly, and I get better results in terms of creaminess!