Granny Smith Apple Risotto

Apples and parmesan cheese may sound like an odd combination, but the flavors in the savory risotto will convince you otherwise.   We vegetarianized Mario Batali's recipe and added more cheese (can you ever have enough parmesan?), but otherwise remained true to the original.  We still have lots of Italian parsley in the garden which is loaded with flavor.  If you use store-bought parsley (which in our experience is quite bland), you may want to double the quantity for this recipe.

Granny Smith Apple Risotto
adapted from Mario Batali's Simple Italian Food

Ingredients

4 -5            cups       vegetable stock, warmed up
4                 Tbs        butter
2                 Tbs        olive oil
1                               red onion, diced
2                               Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2                cups        arborio rice
1                cup          dry white wine
3/4             cup          parmesan, grated
1/4             cup          Italian parsley, chopped
                                  sea salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Saute onion in 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat until just soft.
   
2. Add apples and rice and simmer 4 minutes.
3. Add wine and simmer until wine evaporates.
4. Add enough warm stock to cover the rice and simmer until the liquid goes below the top of the rice.  Keep adding stock and cooking until most of the stock has been absorbed, about 18 minutes.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking.  Rice should be tender but not mushy.
5. Add 2 Tbs butter, 1/2 cup cheese and parsley and combine well.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh apple slices.