Homemade lemon risotto prepared to a silky smoothness.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: best homemade risotto recipe, best Italian risotto recipe, best risotto recipe, homemade risotto recipe, how long do you cook risotto, how to cook risotto at home, lemon risotto recipe, risotto with leeks, spring risotto, what is risotto
Servings: 6people
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Whitney Reist | Sweet Cayenne
Ingredients
6-8cupschicken stock
1teaspoonbutter
1teaspoonolive oil
⅓cupfinely chopped leeks (or substitute with shallot)
1cuparborio or short grain rice
½cupwhite wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay)
⅓cupfresh lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)
⅓cupfreshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
Place the chicken stock in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a ladle nearby.
Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the leeks. Saute until the leeks are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to combine. Add the wine, and stir continuously until the wine is absorbed.
Add one ladle of the chicken stock to the rice. Stir slowly until the stock has almost completely been absorbed before adding another ladle. Repeat this process ladle by ladle until the rice is tender and al dente. This should take about 30 minutes, and you can start tasting to assess the texture at the 25 minute mark.The final texture of the risotto should be creamy and loose to the point where when you pull a spoon through the center, it fills back in within a few seconds (think the texture of a silky stovetop mac and cheese).
Once the risotto is finished, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Stir in the Parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days. To reheat, put a serving in the microwave with ¼ cup chicken stock or water on top. Microwave 2 minutes at 80% power, stir, then heat an additional minute. Alternatively, you can use leftover risotto to make arancini, which are fried risotto balls!