What a discovery! Hardly any stirring to do, no agonizing about how cooked the rice is, how hard it should stay, at what point it turns soggy...it's risotto without the usual hassle.
Well it is true, that, after Nigella, I sometimes find that stirring endlessly for half an hour brings some form of comfort to the overactive soul, but really, I like my risotto well done, and not medium or even worse rare (something I was served in a wannabe trendy Munich bar/restaurant/beergarden and which put me off risotto-eating out of home). And this means stirring longer and agonizing longer over whether the risotto's really done, and sometimes missing the turning point and finding yourself with a not delicious block of stodgy overcooked mess.
So I was really chuffed when I lifted the lid off my Le C. to find that my risotto had absorbed all of the stock, was delightfully well-cooked and still retained a little bite. The egg and cream preparation just had to be mixed in and already it stopped being gooey. A little chopped parsley or chives would have been nice too, but a handful more pecorino and a grind of pepper were just fine.
Oven-baked risotto carbonara inspired by Delia and this
an onion, chopped
a small package of "light" lardons
300g arborio rice
a glass of white wine
700 ml vegetable stock
50g grated pecorino
1 egg
some light cream
Preheat the oven on 200°C.
In an oven-proof casserole, heat some olive oil and throw in the onion bits, add some salt. Cook until slightly translucent and add the lardons. Let the lardons cook for another minute or so, then add the rice. Turn it around to coat it in fat (if necessary add a little oil), then pour in the wine, and let it evaporate. Then pour the stock and let it come to a simmer. Clamp the lid on and chuck into the oven for 25 mins. Meanwhile mix the egg and some cream (it should be a pale yellow colour).
When the time's up, remove the casserole from the oven, take the lid off and mix the egg & cream in, along with nearly all the cheese (keeping some for sprinkling later). Give a good stir and serve. C'est tout!
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