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The Kosher Girl Recipes

Lemon Artichoke Risotto

  • 2 lemons
  • 4 medium artichokes or 8 small artichokes
    (you can substitute frozen or canned artichoke hearts)
  • 2 cup(s) short grain Italian rice, such as Arborio and Carnaloni
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 cup(s) vegetable stock
  • 2 cup(s) water
  • 2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup(s) dry white wine
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon(s) thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional but yummy!)
  1. Zest one lemon into a small bowl and squeeze the juice into the same bowl.
  2. Add the lemon rind into a large bowl and squeeze the second lemon into the large bowl and add the rinds. Fill that bowl up with cold water.
  3. Prepare the artichokes: Snap off the tough outer leaves until you reach light green leaves. With the vegetable peeler, peel the stems until you reach the light green. Be sure to get rid of all of the dark green. Slice off the top 1/3 of the artichokes. Cut the artichokes in half and if there are any redish leaves in the middle, pull them out of the center. With the melon baller, scrape out any hairs from the center of the artichokes. Cut each half into 4 slices and place the slices into the lemon water so that the artichokes don’t turn brown.
  4. Pour the stock into the smaller pot, add two cups of water and warm it over low heat.
  5. Place the larger pot over low heat and add the olive oil, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes until it is translucent and fragrant but not brown.
  6. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot. Cover and cook the artichokes for 15 minutes until they are tender.
  7. Add the rice to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes to lightly toast the rice.
  8. Add the white wine to the pot and allow it to reduce for 5 minutes.
  9. Slowly begin adding the stock to the rice 1/2 cup at a time. Continuously stir the risotto with your spatula so that the stock incorporates and the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Do not add more stock until the last ladle-full is fully incorporated. After 20 minutes, the rice will begin looking creamy. Continue adding stock until all of the stock is incorporated.
  10. After 30 minutes, the risotto will be tender and all of the stock should be incorporated. Turn off the heat and add the lemon zest and juice, thyme leaves and cheese, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
  11. Serve immediately or cover the pot with a lid and serve within an hour.