Sweet Risotto
Sweetened with honey, sultanas and amaretto, this risotto takes on a superbly creamy texture from the use of whole milk and cultured buttermilk.
Ingredients
- ½ cup sultanas (or substitute raisins)
- ½ cup amaretto
- 4 cups whole milk (preferably not ultrapasteurized)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 vanilla beans
- 1 ceylon cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup arborio or carnaroli rice
- 1 medium orange (juiced and zested)
Instructions
- Place the sultanas in a small bowl, and cover them with amaretto. Allow them to plump in the liquor while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Pour milk and buttermilk together in a 2-quart saucepan. Drop the spices into the milk, and stir in honey. Warm the liquid ingredients over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, taking care not to let them boil.
- Melt butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. When it froths, stir in the rice. Stir the rice frequently until its edges become slightly translucent, then stir in the orange zest. Stir in the sultanas and amaretto. Working ½ cup at a time, strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve into your rice. Stir the rice continually until all the liquid is absorbed, then strain the remaining milk - a ½ cup at a time - into the rice until it is all absorbed. Stir in the orange juice into the rice, and continue stirring until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender and cooked through. Serve warm.
