Pancetta And Gorgonzola Risotto

What do you crave on a cold and wet winter night? For me there are many; rich slow cooked stews, delicious thick soups, nourishing noodle dishes and a rich velvety risotto are just the few on my list.

I still remember very vividly my first taste of blue cheese - it was many years ago at a pizza restaurant in Singapore and I thought it was the most revolting thing I have ever tasted. But that was then, these days I simply can't have enough of it. 

This is an excellent example of good Italian cooking - minimum ingredients with maximum taste and complexity.

serves 4 as a one dish meal

you'll need;

500 g of arborio rice

1 onion, finely chopped

200 g of pancetta, diced

750 ml of white wine

2 L of hot chicken stock

a big knob of butter

500 g of Gorgonzola cheese

salt and pepper to taste

a simple dressed bitter greens to serve

Dice pancetta and onion and set aside.

Saute the pancetta and onion with butter in a heavy bottom pan. 

When the mixture is slightly golden with some of the fat from the pancetta rendered out, add the rice and mix well. Stir and toast the rice for a minute of two.

Add white wine and shake the pot til all the wine has been absorbed by the rice. Add enough stock to just cover the rice, give it a good stir and let it simmer on low heat til stock has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat the process til rice is al dente.

Stir in a little more butter and stir vigorously for a minute then add in the crumbed cheese and mix well. 

Serve immediately when the cheese starts to melt. To test if you have the right consistency for a good risotto - simply shake the plate a little, the rice should flow flat towards all directions.