A “Risotto” can be made with almost everything you have in the fridge, but if you want one with strong and delicate taste at the same time, fulfilling as well as easy to do, we recommend this Risotto with Merlot Annafrancesca. Does this recipe work with any red wine? Technically yes, but not for taste. If you use a wine with high acidity, the result will be an acid risotto, even if you fill it with parmigiano or butter.. With our Libellula (dragonfly) Merlot Annafrancesca, with its velvety and smooth body, low in acidity and its intense flavour, you will enjoy a balanced between sweetness and acidity risotto, very tasty, and that you can improve with speck or herbs.  What is very important: in this Risotto for two people you will use only 1/3 of the bottle of Merlot, while the rest it’s all to be sipped!

RISOTTO WITH MERLOT ANNAFRANCESCA

For 2 people: in a saucepan, boil around half liter of salted veggie broth; in a bigger non stick pot (or thick-bottomed pot) melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter, and cook 1/4 of finely chopped onion with a scoop of broth to avoid onion to burn or fry. When onion is tender and translucent and the broth has evaporated, add 160gr of Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice, and toast it until hot (touch it with hand). High the heat (the pot has to be very hot), add 200ml Libellula Merlot Annafrancesca in a steady stream, move rice and wine briefly with a wooden spoon, then low the heat to the minimum and cover the pot. Cook the Risotto for 12/15 minutes adding two spoons of boiling broth once the previous are almost absorbed, moving briefly the rice only when fluid is added, then cover again. Very important NOT to mix the rice all the time, but only move it briefly when broth is added and then cover again to avoid liquid to evaporate quickly; risotto is very liquid in this phase so it will not stick, and the result will be a risotto with separated rice grain, cooked evenly as in the best restaurants! (while if you mix all the time, the rice will released a lot of starch and the risotto will be a sort of sticky soup..). Once the rice is done, add some grated parmigiano and mix well. If it’s too stiff, add a spoon of broth and wait a minute. Serve Risotto hot with a glass of Libellula (dragonfly) Merlot Annafrancesca at room temperature.

For more flavour: add on the top stir fried pieces of speck or ham, or finely chopped rosemary.

Enjoy!