Ingredients for 4 people
320 g Carnaroli rice
2 Golden Delicious apples
120 g Crucolo speck
1 shallot
Vegetable stock, as needed
100 g dry white wine
50 g butter
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
Black pepper, as needed
½ lemon
Rosemary to taste
Preparation
To prepare the apple and speck risotto, first prepare the vegetable stock and keep it warm. Then cut the Crucolo speck into slices a couple of centimetres thick, remove the rind, and cut it into strips and then into cubes. Now move on to the apples, first cut them into quarters, then peel them and cut them into cubes the same size as the speck. To prevent them from turning brown, dip them in acidulated water as you go. Then prepare the soffritto. Finely chop the shallot and pour it into a pan where you have already melted half the butter; the other half will be used to cream the risotto later. Allow the shallot to soften slightly, stirring frequently, and it will take about 5 minutes (you can add a ladleful of hot stock).
After that, pour in the rice. Toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly, then add the white wine. Wait until the alcohol has completely evaporated and start adding the hot stock to the rice, continuing to do so only as needed. In another hot pan, pour in a drizzle of oil. Then add both the speck and the apples and sauté them over high heat until golden brown. When the risotto has about 3 minutes left to cook, pour in the apples and speck and season with pepper to taste.
As soon as the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and add the remaining butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, sprinkling it over the entire surface. Cover with a lid, wait 1 minute and stir the risotto until creamy, mixing gently and shaking the pan to finish the creaming process. Your apple and speck risotto is ready, garnish with a few rosemary needles and serve.
The same preparation can be done by replacing the apples with courgettes, pumpkin or peas.