From the land of risotto comes yet another rich, full-flavored (but far simpler) rice preparation; butter is nearly essential here. With thanks to the great food writer John Thorne (see his Simple Cooking Web site, www.outlawcook.com), who first made me aware of the existence of this Lombardian dish.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it as you would to cook pasta. Add the rice in a steady stream and stir. When the water returns to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the rice until it is tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Drain.
Step 2
Put the butter in a saucepan large enough to hold the rice and turn the heat to medium. When the butter melts and just begins to turn brown, add the rice and toss together. Stir in the fontina, then a handful of Parmesan, along with a bit of salt and some pepper. Serve, passing more Parmesan at the table.
Rice with Cheese and Garlic
Step 3
In step 2, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the butter (or olive oil, which is fine in this variation) about 30 seconds before adding the rice.
Lemon Rice
Step 4
In step 2, omit the cheeses; use the garlic as in the previous variation. Toss the rice with plenty of salt and pepper, then finish the dish with the juice of at least 1 lemon.
