CREAMY APPLE AND SPECK RISOTTO: Perfect Recipe with Wave-Like Creaminess and Tips
The Secret to Perfect Creaminess (Never Greasy, Always Creamy)
Problem No. 1: Is the risotto too dense, dry, or the cheese doesn’t melt well? SOLVED!
A good risotto should be “wave-like”, meaning creamy but never heavy or separated. The secret lies in balancing fats, liquids, and starches.
The Solution (The Secrets of Perfect Creaminess):
Final Creaming (Off the Heat): Butter and cheese (Stelvio) are added only after turning off the heat. This emulsifies them with the starch released by the rice without overheating, making the creaming smooth and not greasy.
Blanching the Apples (Step 1): Blanching the apples in boiling water and immediately cooling them (thermal shock) prevents them from oxidizing and completely disintegrating during the final cooking in the risotto, maintaining a pleasant bite.
Aromatic Wine (Gewürztraminer): Using an aromatic wine like Gewürztraminer enhances the apple’s flavor, providing an acidic balance that ‘cuts’ the saltiness of the Speck and the sweetness of the fruit.
The Apple and Speck Risotto is a Trentino-inspired first course that surprises with its balance of flavors: the tart sweetness of the apple perfectly complements the smokiness and saltiness of the Speck. An elegant comfort food, ideal for impressing.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for CREAMY APPLE AND SPECK RISOTTO
- 11.3 oz Carnaroli rice (Ideal for risottos, holds cooking well.)
- 5 cups vegetable broth (hot)
- 2.82 oz speck (Cut into 1/2 cm cubes.)
- 1 Golden apple
- 2.82 oz butter (Divided for sautéing and creaming.)
- 2.82 oz onion (or shallot finely chopped)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 4.23 oz cheese (hard cheese grated julienne-style, I use Stelvio)
- 1/2 lemon zest
- 1 pinch black pepper
- to taste salt
- chives (for final decoration)
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Apple Corer
- Saucepan
- Grater
- Pan
Procedure for CREAMY APPLE AND SPECK RISOTTO the wave-like technique
Cut the Speck into small cubes of about 1/2 cm.
Peel the apple, remove the core, and cut it into 1 cm cubes.
Blanching: Plunge the apple cubes into boiling water. Wait for it to return to a boil, wait one minute, then drain them. Immediately toss them into cold water with some ice cubes. When they are cold, drain them very well and set aside.
Grate the Stelvio cheese using the larger holes of the grater (julienne).Sauté and Toasting
Finely chop the shallot and let it soften in a pan with 1.76 oz of butter for at least 10 minutes on low heat, without letting it color.
Add the rice to the pan and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Deglaze with wine at room temperature.When the rice is dry, add the hot vegetable broth little by little, stirring often, until reaching one minute before the end of cooking (or about 15 minutes total).
At this point, add the Speck and Apples in cubes (which will cook just enough to heat), the grated zest of ½ lemon, then turn off the heat.Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano (aged 24 months) and stir vigorously to melt it completely.
Finally, add the remaining butter (1.06 oz) and stir with an energetic motion to incorporate air and make the risotto “wave-like”.
Adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Plate your risotto, completing it with some chopped chives.
Notes & Tips, Storage, and Variations
Tips and Notes
Cold Butter: For shinier and more stable creaming, use butter for the final creaming cut into cubes and very cold from the fridge.
The Crunchy Touch: For those who love contrast, it is possible to separately toast a small amount of speck in a pan until it becomes crispy and use it to garnish the dish.
Storage
The risotto should be consumed immediately after preparation. If it is leftover, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1 day and can be reused to make arancini or a timbale.
Variations and Alternatives
Cheese: Parmigiano Reggiano (aged 24 months) can be replaced with good Grana Padano grated at the moment or with Stelvio cheese that pairs well with both apples and Speck.
Speck: For a less salty version, replace the Speck with Sweet Prosciutto cut into cubes.
Veggie: For a vegetarian version, remove the speck and use good Taleggio cheese cubes during creaming.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Why is it necessary to blanch the apples in boiling water?
Answer: Blanching the apples helps them maintain their shape and texture when added to the hot risotto. The thermal shock locks the enzymes, preventing the apple cubes from browning during preparation.
2. What dry white wine can I use?
Answer: You can use a standard dry white wine. However, Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine that adds a unique spicy and fruity note, enhancing the apple flavor. If replacing it, choose a good quality wine.
3. How long should I let the risotto rest after creaming?
Answer: The risotto should rest in the pot, covered, for about 1-2 minutes immediately after creaming and before serving. This brief rest (also known as “covering”) allows the creaming to settle and the rice to reach the ideal “wave-like” consistency.
