Risotto with bergamot: the recipe for a creamy and fragrant dish

He Bergamot Risotto it’s a first course delicious and fragrant, made from the juice and grated zest of bergamot. It is a citrus fruit native to Calabria, in particular the Lower Jonio Reggino region, which ripens between November and January, but can be found until March.

Bergamot has a similar appearance to grapefruit, but its yellow color is more intense and has a fresh taste and slightly bitter. Quick and easy to prepare, just sauté the chopped onion in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, toast the rice and then mix it with the bergamot juice. At this stage, continue cooking by pouring a ladleful of hot vegetable stock at a time, as it is absorbed, stirring constantly.

Finally, it is creamed with butter and parmesan, then the grated zest of bergamot is added, for a creamy resultdelicate and very refined, which will leave even the most demanding diners speechless: an ideal dish for a special dinner or a festive occasion.

Find out how to make a bergamot risotto by following the step-by-step procedure and tips. If you like the taste of this citrus fruit, also try bergamot liqueur. If risottos are your passion, don’t miss the lemon risotto and the citrus risotto.

How to prepare bergamot risotto

Slice the onion and brown it in a pan with a drizzle of oil 1until lightly golden.

Add the rice 2.

Grill it, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon 3.

Grate the bergamot zest 4.

Cut the bergamot in half 5.

Squeeze the juice 6.

Add the salt then the bergamot juice 7 and let it evaporate: it will thus lose its bitter taste.

Gradually add the hot broth 8 and bring to a simmer, stirring often and adding more broth as needed.

Just before finishing cooking, add the grated parmesan 9.

Add a knob of butter ten.

Stir and let stand for a few minutes. Add grated bergamot zest 11 and mix.

Serve 12 and complete to taste with a grind of black pepper.

Serve the risotto hot 13.

Advice

We recommend using a rice of excellent quality and preferably of the Carnaroli variety, the best for this type of preparation: with large and tapered grains, it keeps well when cooked, as it contains higher amounts of amylose, and maintains a firm and firm consistency. perfectly al dente; alternatively, you can opt for the Vialone nano.

For a fish variant, you can add fish almost at the end of cooking shrimp and continue for a few more minutes: they will cook in just a few minutes.

To obtain a super creamy effect, however, you can mix the risotto with one or two tablespoons of Cream cheese, robiola type; if you wish, you can garnish the dish with toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds.

storage

It is advisable to consume the risotto with bergamot immediately after its preparation, to enjoy it at best.