12th
Rice and Sugar Crack: Caramel Risotto
I love risotto, I love caramel, therefore I must also caramel risotto. This was the trajectory of my thought when I started making the another thekitchn.com recipe. The idea of sugary, soft grains of rice was just too good to pass up. The most difficult part of this experience was the sugar melting, as it passes between stages that made the sugar look like uncut cocaine to black tar heroine—I was gripped with fear that the Feds would come at any moment and seize my pot of sucrose. However, I have copious photographic evidence that no illegal activities were taking place. For caramel risotto, you will need:
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup Arborio rice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup cream
For the rice: Melt butter in a sauce pan and add rice until grains are coated with butter and semi-clear. Then add the four cups of milk and salt and cook until rice the texture of the rice looks like this with thick plump grains:
For the caramel sauce, first boil the 1/4 cup of water and add in one cup of sugar and start stirring over medium heat.
Once the water has evaporated, you’ll end with pure Colombian dust like this:
Ha, I kid. After a few more minutes of medium heat, coupled by doubt that piles of crack-looking rocks will ever look like caramel sauce, you’ll have a golden, lumpy looking sauce.
You can see how fast J’s spoon is moving here. After the lumps are all gone, remove from heat and slowly, VERY SLOWLY, add in one cup of cream. This mixture will foam extraordinarily, so keep it on the down low at first.
Now pour your perfect caramel sauce into the cooked risotto (the consistency of the milk and rice shoudl be fairely thick).
This pot may look hideous, but the resulting rice-pudding like dessert will have everyone begging for more.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
I had some panna cotta on hand too, making for a tarty balance the the warm sugar.
