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Apple Risotto

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Course: Side Dish
Keyword: rice, side dish
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
This recipe is such a delicious side with the unique combination of the sweetness of the apple, the richness of the Parmesan and saltiness of the bacon! Its very popular in our household and I hope your family enjoys it as well!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Chicken broth
  • 2 cups Apple juice
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1/2 Medium onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 cup Dry white Arborio rice
  • 2 cups Fuji apple, or Granny Smith about 2 apples, peeled, diced
  • Juice of 1 lemon about 2 Tablespoons
  • 1/3 cup Dry white wine
  • 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 slices Thick cut bacon

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 450° F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on baking sheet. For extra crispy bacon, arrange bacon in a single layer on two racks over 2 foil lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until bacon is desired doneness.
  • Peel and slice the apples and toss them with the lemon juice to stop them from oxidizing.
  • In a large sauce pan combine chicken broth and apple juice over low heat. Bring the broth mixture to a low simmer. Reduce heat to low to keep the broth mixture warm until use.
  • In a separate Dutch oven melt 2 Tablespoons butter with the onion and cook over medium low heat until soft and translucent.
  • Add the garlic and rice and cook 2 minutes until the rice turns light brown.
  • Add the wine to deglaze the pot. Cook the wine stirring occasionally until the wine is fully absorbed. Add half the apples and stir to combine.
  • Using a ladle, stirring constantly add the broth mixture 1 ladle at a time until the broth had been fully absorbed before adding another ladle. Continue this until the rice no long absorbs the liquid.
  • Add the remaining apples, 2 Tablespoons butter, parmesan cheese, and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Serve the risotto with crumbled bacon.

Notes

  • This recipe is so popular around our house that I will normally double or even triple the recipe.
  • It is important to add the liquid slowly and allow it to absorb each time before adding more. this by far takes the longest (about 30 minutes). Get another person and a couple chairs and switch between someone adding the liquid and stirring.
  • DO NOT STOP STIRRING! The rice can stick and burn to the bottom of the pan. To get the creamy final product you must keep stirring.
  • When cooking the onion and garlic make sure not to overcook. I learned from experience that burned garlic tastes terrible. The objective is to not sauté the onions, you just want to cook them enough to release the flavor.
  • You can add the apples at once at the very end if you want a crunchy apple texture. I personally prefer adding half the apples before and half the apples after cooking for a combined texture of crunchy and soft.
  • You can adjust the amount of apple juice vs. the amount of chicken broth according to your taste. I prefer a 50% 50% mixture of apple juice and chicken stock for a balanced flavor, otherwise it tastes too sweet to me, but you may prefer more sweetness.
  • The original recipe does not mention keeping the broth mixture hot but this is a must when making risotto! Joshua Weissman’s video on how to make risotto is a great place to start if you are new to making risotto.
  • Feast of Fiction has a good recipe that shows you how to cook a similar recipe.