Meera Sodha’s radicchio risotto with Chianti

Cookbook writer Meera Sodha offers a winter risotto that pairs bitter radicchio di Chioggia with a large glass of Chianti and a dusting of vegetarian parmesan, the wine giving the rice a juicy red finish. Sodha notes that bitter ingredients lift the darkest months and lists radicchio among her favourites, naming castelfranco and tardivo as other varieties.

She says radicchio di Chioggia is milder and sweeter when cooked, though it is sold by only a few major UK supermarket chains and is more commonly found at farmers’ markets or retailers such as Abel & Cole and Natoora. Other red wines may be used in the recipe. Prep 15 minutes, cook 40 minutes.

Serves 4. Key ingredients include 60g unsalted butter, 1 large onion, 4 garlic cloves, about 400g radicchio di Chioggia (finely chopped), 350g arborio rice, 250ml Chianti, 1 litre hot vegetable stock, 70g vegetarian parmesan (plus extra), and salt and pepper. For a radicchio-and-walnut pesto you need extra-virgin olive oil, 16 sage leaves, 25g walnuts and half a lemon.

Method summary: sweat onion in 40g butter until translucent, add garlic and two-thirds of the chopped radicchio and cook until wilted. Stir in rice to coat, cook until semi-translucent, then pour in the Chianti and let the rice absorb it. Add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a couple of ladles of hot stock, then continue adding stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until absorbed, for about 20 minutes until the rice is al dente.

Key Topics

Business, Meera Sodha, Radicchio Di Chioggia, Chianti, Arborio Rice, Abel & Cole