Broccoli or Cauliflower “Risotto”

Recipe Author: Conne Ward Cameron

This recipe came from the chefs at JCT Kitchen and was a demo at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. I made an easy knock-off one night – cooking a whole head of cauliflower until it broke down, then adding 4 cups of cooked brown rice (which I had languishing in the refrigerator), some wine, chicken stock and garlic, and then folding in Parmesan after everything was warmed up. Easy and delicious. Their version will take a little more time, but the risotto effect is worth the trouble. If you’re not familiar with Carolina gold rice, it’s grown in South Carolina and available at specialty markets. Arborio or other risotto rice will work fine.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sliced fresh garlic 1 head broccoli or cauliflower, roughly chopped 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock, divided, heated 1 stick butter, divided 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3/8 cup dry white wine 2 cups Carolina gold rice 1 cup grated Parmesan 3 tablespoons chopped parsley Salt

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil until very hot, then add garlic and stir constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Add chopped broccoli or cauliflower and stir together. Add 1 cup chicken stock, reduce heat to simmer, cover pan and let cook until broccoli or cauliflower is completely tender and falling apart, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are cooking, in another saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat and add shallots and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook 5 minutes more. Deglaze pan with wine, then add chicken stock, one cup at a time, cooking and stirring until rice absorbs all the stock before adding more. When rice is completely cooked, stir in cooked broccoli or cauliflower, Parmesan and parsley. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.