Garlic Risotto

So you all know I have a deep love for the garlic rice that John makes, right? I mean, it is so good! You may or may not smell like garlic for 3 days after - but seriously, it is worth it.I know that John loves risotto - he raves about how good it is every time I make it - then again, maybe it is because I don't make it ALL that often OR maybe he really does love it - yep, I am going to stop over analyzing right now.

Instead of making garlic rice, I decided I would try and make a yummy garlic risotto. It turned out great - definitely a keeper and will be repeated very soon. It isn't quite as garlicky as the garlic rice, but still yummy nonetheless.

Sorry about that spoon - Either way, you can see it looks creamy and D-lish!

Before you make this recipe though - be warned it is labor intensive in that you have to sit there and stir for pretty much 30-40 minutes straight.

1 cup ariborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
6-8 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place the chicken stock in a medium sauce pan and heat to medium - keep simmering. In the meantime, place your olive oil and butter in a skillet and heat to medium high. Once your butter is melted and bubbling, throw in your rice and garlic. Toast until light brown.  Turn the heat to medium and add one cup of the hot chicken stock. Stir frequently until it cooks out. Repeat this process one cup of stock at a time until your stock is gone. Turn the heat to medium low once the majority of the stock is evaporated, but the risotto has a nice creamy texture. Add in the cheese, cream, and salt and pepper and stir to combine. 

The recipe has simple components, but like I said, it does get a little cumbersome stirring, stirring, and stirring. We served this with some yummy sauteed spinach and grilled steaks, but if you added in some chicken or shrimp - this could be a meal on its own. 

Mmm!

Enjoy!