Risotto with Sage, Onion, and Crisp Prosciutto
Denise Landis is the founder & CEO of The Cook's Cook.
Fresh sage, onion, and prosciutto are an outstanding combination of flavors, perfect for risotto. With arborio rice, canned broth, and an onion from your pantry you can put together an easy and elegant meal.
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- 946 ml (4 cups) chicken stock or broth
- 59 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 8-12 large leaves fresh sage (if they have been rinsed they must be thoroughly dried)
- 99 grams (3.5 ounces) very thinly sliced prosciutto
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 473 ml (2 cups) arborio rice
- 118 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine (optional)
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Very thinly sliced or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
Preparation
- In a small saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil, then reduce heat and keep at a low simmer. Place a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, and add the olive oil. Make certain that the sage leaves are dry with no clinging drops of water, and set aside a pair of tongs or heatproof slotted spoon. Fry the sage leaves in the oil a few at a time, transferring them to a plate as soon as they change color and begin to crisp.
- Cut the prosciutto slices crosswise into 1 inch strips. Add to the oil and sauté until nicely browned and crisp. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
- Add the butter to the oil and allow to melt. Add the onion and stir until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains with oil. Reduce heat to low and add the wine, if using, stirring until the wine is completely absorbed into the rice.
- Now begin adding the hot broth a ladleful (about 118 ml/½ cup) at a time. After each addition of broth, stir continuously until the rice has absorbed the liquid, 3-4 minutes between each addition. When the broth is all used* the rice should be tender and creamy but still have a slight “bite” (firmness) to it.
- Crumble the reserved crisp prosciutto and stir it into the risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnishing each serving with fried sage leaves and, if desired, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
*If further cooking is necessary when the broth is gone, add a ladleful of hot water as you did with the broth.
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Denise Landis
Denise Landis had been employed as an archeologist for seven years before a food editor hired her to test some recipes from a cookbook manuscript. This short stint led to longer assignments, and two years later she began testing recipes for the New York Times. She has been a professional recipe tester and editor for over 25 years, is the author of a New York Times cookbook, and has written for numerous publications. She is a member of the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.
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DeNISE! This is one yummy Risotto! I loved it. The sage is what makes this dish. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it. Agreed — the sage is special! I first had fried sage leaves years ago on risotto in Italy — my first meal there, which I have never forgotten.