Recipe: Meyer Lemon And Fried Sage Risotto
The sparkling perfume and tang of the Meyer lemon (plus the fried sage) elevates this dish to a special event.
Citrus fruits can provide a bright little spot of sunshine in the midst of a challenging New England February, and Meyer lemons are among my favorite of these fruits. They are so juicy and the zest has a unique perfume that elevates this dish to a special event. MX Morningstar Farm Store in Hudson has an impressive selection of citrus right now.
As with any risotto, the quality of the broth or stock is going to make all the difference. I make my own chicken stock but there are quite a number of local farm stands that sell very good broths and stocks, North Plain Farm in Great Barrington among them. You may have heard that making risotto is either time consuming or tricky or both but I have never found that to be the case. But then again, standing over my pots with a wooden spoon in hand and delicious aromas wafting upward is one of my favorite places! I’ll admit that frying the sage is just a little bit of culinary razzle dazzle: the fried leaves look so good on the creamy risotto and the delicate crunch of them is just fun on the tongue.
The last tip is to buy a nice hunk of the real Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it yourself; the nutty and caramelized quality of the real thing balances so wonderfully with the Meyer lemons.
Meyer Lemon and Fried Sage Risotto
Serves 4
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
¼ cup finely minced onion
2 small cloves garlic, finely minced
4-6 sage leaves, thinly sliced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon (zest first before juicing and reserve zest)
4 cups chicken stock, heated
½ teaspoon sea salt
To finish:
1 cup grated parmesan
1 bunch sage for frying
Zest of Meyer lemon
Olive oil for frying sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of freshly ground coriander seeds (optional but it adds a nice fragrance)
Frying the sage leaves:
Heat enough olive oil in a skillet to be about half an inch deep. Remove stems from the sage leaves and make sure they are nice and dry. Once the olive oil is shimmering, test the temperature by adding 1 sage leaf. It should make a crackling sound immediately. Add 4-6 sage leaves at a time and cook until they stop sizzling- about 10 seconds per side. Turn once. Drain on paper towel and lightly season with sea salt. Set aside for garnishing the risotto. Save the sage-scented olive oil for other uses.
Making the risotto:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the onion, garlic and sage and cook until onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and toast in the onion mixture over medium heat for 2 minutes while stirring. Add the white wine and the Meyer lemon juice and reduce by half while stirring.
Start adding the heated chicken stock 1 cup at a time while stirring. Once each cup of stock has been absorbed by the rice add another until the rice is just a little al dente.
Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan and the Meyer lemon zest. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish each plate with fried sage leaves, freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground coriander seeds and a little more grated parmesan.
