Risotto with Leeks and Pancetta

Few things can compete against a plate of perfectly prepared risotto. Risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish using short grain and high starch Arborio rice. Despite popular belief, risotto is not a difficult dish to prepare. It does however require a bit of patience because stirring the simmering stock in little by little is so important. The effort you put into making this meal will be well worth the results.

Serves 4
Prep Time - about 45 minutes

½ tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 tablespoon of butter

½ pound diced pancetta

1 ½ cups of Arborio rice

2 leeks chopped (thoroughly washed)

2 cloves of garlic

4 Fresh thyme sprigs

¾ cup of dry white wine

4 cups of Chicken stock

1 cup of vegetable stock

½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Flat leaf Italian Parsley

Kosher Salt and Freshly crack black pepper

In a medium sized sauce pan - add your stock, thyme, and 1 clove of garlic that has been roughly chopped. The added garlic and thyme will add even more flavor to the stock as it simmers. Place the pan over a low heat and bring to a simmer and never to a boil. First step is to wash the leeks. Slice white and the light green part of the leeks and allow them to soak in a large bowl full of cold water.

In a heavy bottom pan like a dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Dice up the Pancetta and add the the hot oil. Pancetta is an unsmoked Italian bacon and is available in most grocery stores near the deli. Fry the pancetta until it's crispy adding a drizzle more of olive oil to the pan if needed. 

While the pancetta is frying, remove the leeks from the water and dry off an excess water. Once the pancetta is crisp, carefully remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow it to drain on a paper towel. set aside and reserve for later.

Add the leeks to the same pot we fried the pancetta in and sweat the leeks until they are just tender. Roughly chop a clove of garlic and stir into the leek cooking for an additional minute. Next, add the rice to the pan and stir to make sure all of the rice is coated. Saute the rice with the leeks and garlic for about 3 minutes stirring almost constantly. Add the white wine to the pot and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.

Next, add 1 ladle full of the simmering stock (avoiding the the thyme sprigs) into the rice and stir in. Simmer the stock into the rice stirring frequently until you can see that most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another ladle full of the stock into the pan and continue this process until all of the stock has been used. This should take about 25-30 minutes. The rice should will be cooked through but still slightly al dente. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese, about half of the crispy pancetta we reserved, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve plate your risotto and garnish with an additional topping of freshly grated parmesan cheese, a few more pieces of pancetta, and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley. Serve hot with crispy Italian bread.