This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Just typing this recipe up makes my me salivate. This Gorgonzola & Ricotta Risotto with Crisp Sage Leaves is a must if you love cheesy risottos. My husband loves sage, so the sage leaves crumbled on the top is the final winning ingredient!
Ingredients: serves 4
- 1.5 litres hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 125g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 400g risotto rice
- 75ml dry white vermouth
- 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 75g gorgonzola
- 75g fresh ricotta
For the crisp sage leaves:
- Light vegetable oil, for deep frying
- About 30 sage leaves with stalks, rinsed and patted thoroughly dry
How to prepare:
To make the crisp sage leaves, heat the oil to 180℃ in a deep-fryer or wok. If using a fryer, put the leaves in the basket and lower into the oil. It will hiss alarmingly, but as soon as the hissing stops, lift the basket out and shake off the excess oil. (If using a wok, use tongs or a slotted spoon.) Put the leaves on paper towels to drain. Season with a sprinkling of salt and set aside to cool.
Put the stock in a saucepan and keep at a gentle simmer. Melt half the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and add the onion. Cook gently for 10 minutes until soft, golden and translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir until well coated with butter and heated through. Pour in the vermouth and boil hard until reduced and almost disappeared.
Stir in the chopped sage.
Begin adding the stock, a large ladleful at a time, stirring gently until each ladleful has almost been absorbed bu the rice. It should be kept at a bare simmer, so don’t let the rice dry out – add more stock as necessary.
About halfway through the cooking time, stir in the gorgonzola until melted. Continue adding stock and cooking until the rice is tender and creamy, but the grains still firm. (This should take about 15-20 minutes depending on the type of rice used.) Taste and season well, and beat in the ricotta and remaining butter.
Cover and leave to rest for a couple of minutes so the risotto can relax. Serve with the fried sage leaves on top.
For more of our Risotto recipes click HERE