Shades of White: Almond “Risotto”, Shaved Pear and Parmigiano-Reggiano

2nd Place StarChefs.com Innovative Almond-Recipe Competition, Sponsored by Almond Board of California
Adapted by StarChefs.com
September 2013
Yield: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

“Risotto”
1 tablespoon thinly sliced olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons warm onion
¼ cup arborio rice
1 cup almond milk, plus additional as needed
1 cup almonds, blanched and cut into rice grain-size pieces
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ teaspoon salt
1 ounce unsalted butter
To Assemble and Serve
1 slightly firm Anjou pear, peeled and shaved into thinnest possible slices
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
2 tablespoons almond
olive oil
Course sea salt

METHOD:

For the “Risotto”:
In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat, add garlic and onions and sweat until onions are translucent. Add Arborio rice and parch. Add almond milk in thirds, stirring the rice until milk is absorbed before adding more milk. When rice is cooked through, transfer to high-speed blender and purée, adding almond milk as needed. Transfer risotto purée to saucepan with almonds and wine. Simmer until almonds soften, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in remaining ingredients, adding warm almond milk as necessary to adjust consistency. (“Risotto” should spread slightly on plate.)

To Assemble and Serve:
Spoon “Risotto” in thin, straight line on serving plate. Garnish with pear, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and sprinkle with grated almond. Drizzle with oil and finish with salt.