Description
Serve with cherry-rich red: 2006 chateau de la chaize brouilly. A healthy & vegetarian dish. For this super simple risotto, chef jonathan justus, grills eggplant until smoky and charred & then blends the creamy flesh into the cooked rice. Just before serving he sprinkles on sumac, a tart middle easten spice made from the dried berry. Chef jonathan justus opened his smithville, missouri restaurant in his family's former drugstore last year (hence its name, james drugstore). From f&w magazine, 08/2008 – from
"green" living guide, local flavors.
Ingredients
- Eggplants
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Onion
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Arborio Rice
- Dry White Wine
- Vegetable Stock
- Heavy Cream
- Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Flat Leaf Parsley
- Scallions
- Ground Sumac
Instructions
- Light a grill
- Rub the eggplant with 1 / 2 tablespoon of the oil and grill over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until charred and soft, 20 minutes
- Let cool slightly
- Halve the eggplant lengthwise and scoop the pulp into a blender
- Puree until creamy
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil
- Add the onion, shallot, garlic and rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, 5 minutes
- Add the wine and cook until it is absorbed
- Add the vegetable stock with crushed red pepper flakes, 1 / 2 cup at a time
- Stir constantly until it is absorbed before adding more
- Cook until the rice is al dente, 20 minutes total
- Stir in the eggplant puree and the cream and season with salt and pepper
- Stir in the parsley and scallions
- Spoon the risotto into bowls, sprinkle with sumac and serve