Risotto with toasted leeks and Pecorino

I am just in love with the colors of this dish. They remind me of Flemish paintings. I feel like the Bosch of the Italian kitchen.

See the creamy white of the grated cheese against the stark white of the plate? So pretty!

I’d simmered some chicken leg and thigh quarters Friday, so I had some nice broth and some cooked chicken. Risotto won as what to do with them. I had Laurie in mind when I decided to make it a risotto with Pecorino and toasted leeks.

Risotto ai Porri e Pecorino
serves 4

You will need up to 2 liters of good strong chicken broth boiling nearby
the meat of one chicken thigh, cut into small pieces
30 g or 1 ounce butter
1/2 cup (about 4 inches of cleaned stem, cut finely) sliced white of leek
200 g or 1 cup of rice for risotto
2 splashes or about 60 ml or 2 tablespoons of white wine (I used Marsala)

For the montatura you should grate about 2 ounces of hard, aged Pecorino and cut an additional 30 g or 1 ounce butter.

about 4 inches of green part of leek stem, sliced very very thin… thinner than you see here. Deep fry these in a little olive oil and leave them to drain on paper towels until your risooto is ready.

Heat the first quantity of butter in a heavy sauce pan, then sautè the white leek slices in it until they are golden. Add the rice and stir about until it goes chalky looking. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed. Add two ladles of boiling broth and stir in. When that is almost absorbed, add 1 ladle more. Continue to do this until the rice is firm to the tooth but no longer cardboardy. Add the chicken meat and stir in.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the extra butter and the grated cheese. Taste for salt. Mine needed about 1/2 teaspoon more, but my broth was unsalty. Beat with a wooden spoon until it is creamy looking.

Grate a little cheese onto a plate. You can use a styling ring (I have none) or forn a cylinder of risotto on the plate usine a wooden spoon. Then scatter pieces of fried leek over it and serve.

I had two tasters, Silvia and Olga. Both like this very much. I liked it too, but decided that the leeks should have been cut finer. They would have fried faster and been nicer in the mouth. The flavor of a toasted leek is really good, however,. so don’t leave them off.

And, of course, here is a portion for you.

If it’s already too hot where you are, save it for October. It’s nice to plan ahead.