Apple and Cheddar Risotto

Name: Apple and Cheddar Risotto
Yield: serves 4 as an entrée or 8 as a side dish
Ingredients: 9 3/4 cups/2,437.5 grams apple cider; 2 medium onions, sliced; 1 head garlic, split in half crosswise; 1 pound/460 grams sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into chunks; 18 ounces/510 grams bacon, diced; 2 medium onions, diced; 3/4 teaspoon/4.5 grams fine sea salt; 17 1/2 ounces/500 grams Carnaroli rice, parcooked (see page 129); 10 ounces/287.5 grams sharp Cheddar cheese, grated; 3 jalapeños, seeds removed, diced

December 9, 2011

This is comfort food at its finest. It blends Italian risotto with the idea of American macaroni and cheese to create a dish that is more than the sum of its parts. And because we love the crisp juicy flavor of apples with our Cheddar cheese, we decided to take things a little further and use cider to deepen the flavors of our risotto. That hint of tartness balances out the richness of the dish. If you happen to have them around, fresh chives are a wonderful finishing garnish.

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