This is comfort food at its finest. It blends Italian risotto with the idea of American macaroni and cheese to create a dish that is more than the sum of its parts. And because we love the crisp juicy flavor of apples with our Cheddar cheese, we decided to take things a little further and use cider to deepen the flavors of our risotto. That hint of tartness balances out the richness of the dish. If you happen to have them around, fresh chives are a wonderful finishing garnish.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as an entrée or 8 as a side dish

　　9 3/4 cups/2,437.5 grams apple cider

　　2 medium onions, sliced

　　1 head garlic, split in half crosswise

　　1 pound/460 grams sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into chunks

　　18 ounces/510 grams bacon, diced

　　2 medium onions, diced

　　3/4 teaspoon/4.5 grams fine sea salt

　　17 1/2 ounces/500 grams Carnaroli rice, parcooked (see page 129)

　　10 ounces/287.5 grams sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

　　3 jalapeños, seeds removed, diced

　　

Step 1

Pour the cider into a pressure cooker. Wrap the sliced onions, garlic, and Cheddar in cheesecloth and tie it with butcher’s twine. Add to the pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure dissipate naturally. Open the pressure cooker, discard the cheesecloth package, and strain the liquid into a container to cool. Cheddar fat will rise to the top and should be skimmed off. (The fat has a wonderful flavor and can be kept, refrigerated, to add flavor to baked goods, sauces, or soups.) Reserve the stock to make the risotto. This makes a bit more stock than is needed for the recipe; the extra stock may be used to reheat leftover risotto, cook other vegetables, enrich a soup, or braise meat.

　　

Step 2

Put the bacon in a large, cold sauté pan and set over medium-low heat. Cook the bacon slowly, rendering the fat, until the bacon is browned but still slightly chewy. Strain the bacon and the fat through a mesh strainer set over a bowl. Reserve the fat. Transfer the bacon to paper towels, let drain, and pat dry. Put the bacon in a lidded container and store in the refrigerator.

　　

Step 3

Set a clean sauté pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, pour in most of the drained bacon fat; discard the sediment. Add the diced onions and the salt. Slowly cook until soft and translucent. You do not want the onions to take on any color, so adjust the heat as necessary. Transfer the onions and fat to a heatproof container and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to finish the risotto.

　　

Step 4

To make the risotto, put 7 cups (1,600 grams) of the apple-Cheddar stock in a large pot and bring it to a simmer.

　　

Step 5

In a separate large pan over medium heat, cook the onions and bacon fat until they just begin to sizzle, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the rice. Stir the rice to coat it evenly with the fat. Increase the heat to high. Pour all of the hot stock into the pan, stirring the rice so it does not stick. Bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the rice boils gently but does not scorch and stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 6 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Add the grated Cheddar, jalapeños, and reserved bacon pieces. Stir for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. The rice will be cooked and can be served immediately, although it benefits from a short (1 minute) rest in the pan. If you prefer softer rice, simply cook it for an extra minute or two.

　　

note

Step 7

If for some reason you need to delay the serving of this risotto, do not worry. Heat up a bit more stock and stir it into the finished risotto when the time is right. The rice will not become gummy or gluey, even after resting and reheating.

　　Ideas in Food