Black Garlic Risotto with Lemon and Basil

Name: Black Garlic Risotto with Lemon and Basil (Risotto all’Aglio Nero con Limone e Basilico)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Salt and black pepper, to taste; 80 g unsalted butter, chilled; 400 g carnaroli risotto rice; Black pepper, to taste; 100 ml dry white wine; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 1 litre vegetable stock; 100 ml double cream; 1 unwaxed lemon, zested and juiced; 1 sprig of basil; 50 g Grana Padano, finely grated; 1 bulb of black garlic; 40 g Grana Padano, grated; 20 g puffed hard cheese rinds

Risotto all’Aglio Nero con Limone e Basilico

Preparation info

Serves:
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
45 min

Appears in

Better Than Nonna

By Danilo Cortellini

Published 2024

About

Black garlic is a different beast to fresh: it’s mellow, almost balsamic, with no pungent aroma. The aging process concentrates the sugars, turning the cloves into dark, chewy pearls of deliciousness. It’s great in pasta and risotto; just peel it, let it sit in a little warm water, and blitz before incorporating.

Ingredients

1 bulb of black garlic
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp

Method

To prepare the black garlic, peel it and place it into a jug with just enough warm water to cover it. Leave it for 20 minutes then blitz it into a smooth, saucy consistency. It doesn’t matter if you add a bit too much water as it will all be incorporated into the risotto. Set aside.

Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan and keep on a low simmer. In a wide, heavy-based pan, sweat the