
ITALY
Risotto with Spinach
30 minutes
4 persons
Average
This risotto is a special recipe for both Piero and Romee. When Piero was little he didn't want to eat spinach. His mother came up with a way to get him to eat spinach by making this 'green risotto'. Piero was amazed by this crazy color, which made him eager to eat this risotto. This way his mother could secretly let him eat spinach. This is also a special recipe for Romee as it largely consists of her favorite ingredient: Mozzarella! She said that the name mozzarella comes from the word 'mozzare', which means to tear. That is actually what you officially do with a ball of mozzarella, you tear it into pieces. Mozzarella di bufala is the official recipe for mozzarella, which comes from the Campania region of Naples. The first mozzarella was made from the milk of water buffalos that roam the meadows. The same process was done with cow's milk to make it easier to spread the production process around the world. They called this mozzarella made from fresh cow's milk 'Fior di latte' (flower of milk) and you can mainly find it in the supermarket.
Piero's golden tip: don't forget to drink a glass of wine while cooking!
Preparation
In the next video Piero explains how to prepare everything: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHnv0TFHtOz/?hl=en
Step 1: Prepare the spinach risotto
Heat the pan over medium heat. Add all the butter and let it melt slowly.
Once the butter has melted, add the onion. Fry briefly.
Reduce the heat to low and add the risotto.
When the risotto is transparent, increase the heat slightly and add all the spinach. If this does not fit in the pan, add the spinach in several parts. Because the spinach loses moisture during baking, it shrinks quickly.
Pour the stock into the pan little by little. The risotto will absorb all the liquid from the stock. In the meantime, stir the mixture to release the green color. Always add an extra dash as soon as the risotto becomes dry. This may take about 20 minutes in total.
In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into small pieces.
As soon as the water has boiled and the risotto is soft on the outside but still has a firm bite on the inside, the risotto is ready.
Step 2: Mix the risotto with mozzarella and serve
Carefully pour the risotto into a large soup pot or bowl (without heat).
Add the sliced mozzarella and stir it into the risotto with full force, so that the mozzarella starts to fillet and there are no cubes left.
Serve the 'risotto verde della mamma!' with a glass of Italian wine of course!