Baby Artichoke Risotto
Updated February 8, 2023
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
10 baby artichokes
1 lemon, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
About 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock, as needed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup minced onion or spring onion
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and pecorino Romano (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
80 grams carbs; 17 milligrams cholesterol; 516 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 16 grams fiber; 1500 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Trim the artichokes, rubbing them with a cut lemon as you go, and slice ¼ to ⅓ inch thick. Place them in a bowl of water acidulated with the juice of ½ lemon. Put your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that the broth is well seasoned.
- Step 2
Drain the artichoke hearts and pat dry. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook gently until tender, three to five minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and the garlic, and stir for two to three minutes until the artichoke hearts are beginning to color.
- Step 3
Add the rice and thyme, and stir until the grains become separate and begin to crackle. Add the wine, and stir over medium heat until it has been absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the simmering stock, two ladlefuls (about ½ cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion — adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, then stirring — for 20 to 25 minutes. When the rice is tender all the way through but still chewy, it is done. Add pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.
- Step 4
Mince the parsley and lemon zest together, and add to the risotto along with another ladleful or two of stock. Remove from the heat, and add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice. Stir in the cheese, if using. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping in a mound.
Advance preparation: You can begin up to several hours before serving. Proceed with the recipe, cooking until halfway through step 3 — that is, for about 15 minutes. The rice should still be hard when you remove it from the heat, and there should be no liquid in the pan. Spread it in an even layer in the pan, and keep it away from the heat until you resume cooking. If the pan is not wide enough for you to spread the rice in a thin layer, then transfer it to a sheet pan. Fifteen to 20 minutes before serving, bring the remaining stock back to a simmer and reheat the rice. Resume cooking as instructed.
Private Notes
Comments
I used a bag of frozen artichokes from Trader Joe’s as a short cut and it was delicious. Also a small amount, less than a teaspoon, of red chili flakes which I added when I added the garlic and artichokes and it really rounded out the flavor.
Well, my friends, here I am in Italy in late April and baby artichokes are everywhere, so naturally I turned to NYT Cooking and found this recipe. Lacking decent knives, the prep work was, well, let’s just say ‘difficult’. However, the wine here is, as you know, terrific, so I soldiered on. It came out better than expected and, when I get home, I’ll try again with Trader Joe’s artichokes instead of fresh. Not sorry I tried it! (Oh, and i forgot to mention, this kitchen has multiple sets of dishes, dozens of pot and pans, etc, but zero measuring cups. Guesswork and 60 years of cooking paid off there. And did I mention that the wine is terrific?)
took more than 50 minutes because I used brown rice to feel more nutty texture than regular rice. Added some capers and turned out flavorful and scrumptious! All my families loved it.
I made this as written with the note to pause 1/2 way through step 3 to finish later. It worked perfectly. I used frozen artichokes, defrosted them in cool water and then let them drain for a bit, and then squeezed out the water. I wanted them to brown but I think they had too much water still left in them. The crushed red pepper does not make it spicy but adds a really great layer of flavor!
I’ve made this twice - first with marinated artichoke hearts which worked, but was not well balanced. Made again with fresh artichoke hearts and it was amazing. Beautiful flavor combo. Loved the lemon zest. Followed the recipe exactly with the exception of adding a few hot chili flakes. YUM.
I added a cup of chopped spinach instead of parsley, twice the garlic, a combo of leeks, shallots and green onions, parmesan cheese and let a little fontina cheese melt and stirred that in. A generous pinch of saffron made brought this to another level!