Yes, I know. The one or two people who read this blog are probably getting sick of reading because it's all risotto all the time. I'm sorry for that. Well, I'm not exactly sorry. I mean, you can't blame me for going a little risotto crazy now that we know John's blood sugar likes Emmer. Rice is now back in our lives like a long lost friend. It's been fun catching up with Emmer, and I am looking forward to many new adventures we'll have together.
This recipe was fun to make, because I got to play with garlic. As an added benefit, it was tasty too.
Ingredients * = local, & = organic
- 2 whole heads of garlic, unpeeled *&
- 1 quart chicken stock *&
- 1 tablespoon olive oil &
- 3 shallots *&
- 2 cloves garlic *&
- 1/2 bunch celery &
- 14 ounces rice or emmer *&
- 2 glasses white wine
- Salt
- Handful of fresh thyme &
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter *&
- 4 ounces parmesan cheese
- Fresh panko bread crumbs &
Directions:
Well, this is much like every other risotto I've made with one exception. The first step is to take the two whole heads of unpeeled garlic and stuck them in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes. Pull them out and set them aside to cool.
Meanwhile, start heating the chicken stock in a saucepan. You don't want it to get to simmering, but you do want it pretty warm.
Dice the shallots, garlic, and 2 cloves of garlic.
In a different stockpot, add the olive oil and saute the shallots, garlic, and celery for about 5 minutes. Add the emmer (or rice) and stir to coat well with the oil.
Add the white wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Let the wine cook down until there's just a little bit left.
Next, add a generous pinch of salt and a ladle of hot stock. 
Now comes the fun part. Remember that garlic? Take each individual clove and squeeze it into the risotto.
I was actually able to peel some of the roasted garlic and put the soft whole cloves into the pot, but I still had to squeeze some just for fun.
When you're done, add the fresh thyme and some black pepper.
Stir to combine.
Continue to add stock, one ladle full at a time as the previous stock cooks off.
When you get down to the last little bit of stock, watch the risotto carefully. Take it off the heat once the stock has been absorbed and add the butter and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and cover.
You'll want to check on the risotto and give it a stir every couple of minutes until the butter melts.
In a separate pan, heat a little bit of olive oil and add the bread crumbs. Stir to coat and brown slightly. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the risotto to serve.
