Pear and Wine Risotto

Delicate colors and flavors in this Pear and Wine Risotto. Red Anjou Pears, a good quality white wine and tarragon make this dish worthy of your dinner table. Finish it with sauteed pear and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

This risotto recipe started off as a small experiment. I wanted to find out if you only use wine as the liquid to make the rice and not surprisingly you can. The result is a creamy dinner with a fruity accent.

Important notes to make this Pear and Wine Risotto

Always use quality ingredients.
- Carnaroli or Arborio rice are the best for making risotto.
- Parmesan cheese. Use the real cheese. It is more expensive, but it tastes better and a small wedge goes a long way.
- Select a good white wine, one that you won’t mind drinking.
Don’t rush making risotto. It is not a difficult dish, but you have to give it some time to absorb the liquid. Add the liquid little by little and stir every now and then. During this process the rice releases its starch and creates a kind of sauce. The risotto is ready when the rice is al dente; it’s done and still has a little bit of chew left.
- Add the liquid warm or at least at room temperature.
- Don’t make risotto on high heat. A lot of liquid that needs to go into the rice will evaporate and you may also burn the rice. The rice is happiest on a medium high heat, bubbling slowly.
Select a pear that is ripe, but not soft. When the pieces of pear remain in tact instead of become mush, the risotto is more attractive. I used a Red Anjou Pear.
Once the risotto is ready, you can add cheese and a little bit if butter if you prefer.
When risotto is ready, serve it. The longer it sits in the pan the less creamy it becomes.

Wine as the only liquid in this Pear and Wine Risotto works just fine. The alcohol will evaporate, but the wine flavor remains. The pear adds a nice fruity accent to this rice dish and the tarragon is just the icing on the cake. Delicate flavors all together.

Other Risotto recipes you might like:

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Pear and Wine Risotto

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Servings: people

Author: Marinka

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion chopped
3/4 cup rice Carnaroli or Arborio
2 pears peeled and cut in small cubes
2 ¼ cups white wine
salt and pepper
2 ounces Parmesan cheese grated
2-3 sprigs tarragon half chopped, half leaves

Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a a Dutch oven or high walled skillet and and saute the onion until translucent. Don't allow the onion to become brown. It will not look good in this particular risotto.
Add the rice and stir until every grain is coated with the butter. Add a little bit of the white wine and stir until all the wine is absorbed by the rice.
Add 3/4 of the pear pieces (1.5 pears) to the risotto at this point.
Continue adding the remainder of the wine ladle by ladle and allow the rice to absorb the liquid before you add the next ladle.
Heat the second tablespoon of butter in a skillet and allow it to turn brown. Add the rest of the pear pieces (1/2 pear) and saute until crispy and brown. Add the tarragon leaves at the end; they'll wilt in a second.
When the rice is done, add the Parmesan cheese and the chopped tarragon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide risotto over 2 plates and garnish with the brown pear pieces with tarragon leaves.

Nutrition

February 13, 2020 By Marinka

About Marinka

Hi, I’m Marinka and I am so glad you found me smiling while I cook for A Gourmet Food Blog. My mantra is “those who cook happy and eat together, will stay together”. I am a strong believer in experimenting with food in the kitchen. I am a strong believer in creating, cooking and eating food, rather than seeing it as a chore. I know that this is not meant for everybody, but we all gotta eat, so even if you’re not good at it, try some variety – who knows, you may start liking it.