Yield: 4-6 Servings
Recipe by Lynmar Estate Chef David Frakes
Ingredients
For the Vegetable Puree
1 ea — Carrot, medium (peeled and thinly sliced)
1 ea — White onion, large (half thinly sliced, half finely chopped)
1 ea — Celery stalk, medium (thinly sliced)
2 t — Fennel seeds
1 qt — Low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
2 C — Water
2 C — Frozen corn or peas (divided: 1 cup still frozen, 1 cup thawed and at room temperature)
2 C — Flat-leaf parsley (lightly packed)
For the Rice
3 to 4 oz — Pancetta (chopped)
4 T — Salted butter (cut into 1-T pieces, divided)
1 C — Vialone Nano or Arborio rice
2 oz — Parmesan cheese (finely grated, about 1 C), plus more to serve
— Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Vegetable Puree: In a large pot, combine the carrot, the sliced onion, celery, fennel seeds, broth, and 2 C water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables have softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the solids to a blender, draining off as much liquid as possible.
- Add 1 C of the broth to the blender along with the still-frozen corn and the parsley, leaving the remaining broth in the pot so it stays warm. Blend until smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, to yield about 3 C puree. Set aside in the blender jar.
- Cook the Rice: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the chopped onion, pancetta, and 2 T of the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned and the pancetta is rendered and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated with fat, then stir in 1 C of the warm broth. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 5 minutes.
- Ladle in enough additional broth to barely cover the rice and simmer, stirring often, until mostly absorbed. Repeat 4 or 5 times, until the rice is al dente and most of the broth has been used, a process that takes 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Finish and Serve: Add the thawed corn and the puree and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 T butter and stir until melted. Stir in the Parmesan, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional Parmesan.