Chicory Risotto

April 2020
Chicory, also known as endive, is one of my favourite ingredients.  Crisp and bitter in salads; mellow, sweet and nutty when cooked.  For this risotto, I cooked the chicory for only a few minutes so that it still had some bite to stand up against the softness of the arborio rice, and to allow the earthy, nutty flavours to shine through.  Stringy, molten chunks of parmesan cheese added sweetness and moorish umaminess, and I enjoyed the satisfying crunch of chopped almonds.  This was a wholesome, hearty dish which managed to maintain a freshness at the same time. 

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