Apples in Risotto?

Okay, it has been a while. Cooking has always been an interest of mine, it was a part of who I was. Back in high school, I aspired to be a master chef. But for the past few months, I lost the spark I once had. Was cooking just going to just be a cute hobby? What did I want to do with food? So I stepped back.

I kept doubting myself and was ready to throw in the towel. At my age, there are seasoned chefs and fearless restauranteurs. Frankly, I was ready to throw in the towel. But a small part of me would not let it go. I decided to walk down the culinary path on my own terms.

I borrowed reference books, took cooking classes, and watched endless videos on food photography. Would doing any of those things make me happy? It actually did. So I'm restarting my food journey. I'm starting this chapter with a bowl of apple and bacon risotto.

Now for all my fellow anime food lovers out there, I know that you are all aware of the infamous apple and bacon risotto from Shokugeki No Soma. I thought I would celebrate the Fall season by making this bad boy!

Now, I'm a big fan of combining savoury and sweet flavours. I'm not even ashamed, I'll go ahead and say I like Hawaiian pizza (ok...maybe I'm a little embarrassed). So initially, I was intrigued by the idea of adding apples in a risotto. Then again, I have had raisins in biryani that I did not like. I mean, why would you ruin something so perfect with raisins? What reason would you have to even use raisins? Deceit and betrayal, that's what!

But that raisin rant is for another time. Back to the apple and bacon risotto, I decided to just go for it...after watching endless videos on apple risotto, of course. As John Adams once said "When men know not what to do, they ought not to do they know not what". Alright, that sounded confusing but we have to do our research before tackling a project. Turns out apple risotto is common!

Here are two tricks that I learned so far:

• Use unfiltered unsweetened apple juice so you get that natural sweetness.

• Get some Granny Smith apples for tartness to balance the richness of the risotto.

• Have an empty stomach ready.

How did it turn out? Scrumptious and filling! The apple risotto was so comforting and warm. The sweet yet tart notes from the apples balanced with the savoury bacon and richness of the parmesan and cream. I found that this risotto was even better with a fried egg on top. Imagine breaking through that warm, runny egg yolk and watching it coat every crevice of that risotto.

So go right ahead and fall for this apple and bacon risotto.

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APPLE AND BACON RISOTTO

Ingredients:

The Apple Broth

• 3 cups unfiltered and unsweetened apple juice

• 2 cups of chicken broth

The Risotto Part

• 3/4 cup of chopped bacon (I like bacon)

• 1/2 white onion - chopped

• 5 garlic cloves - chopped

• 1 Granny Smith apple - chopped into cubes

• 1 cup rice (arborio is recommended but as long as it is short-grained, any rice is fine)

• 1/3 cup of white wine

• 1/3 cup parmesan - grated

• 1/4 cup parsley - finely chopped

• Some salt and pepper

• A dash of Italian seasoning

To make it bougie

• Some raw, freshly rinsed pea shoots for garnish

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Instructions:

1. If there's anything I learned from my former Italian roommate, "Always keep the broth warm at all times". In a pot combine the apple juice and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil then let it simmer on low.

2. In a cold pan, add in the chopped bacon and bring the heat to medium. Wait, cold pan? Yes, gurl! As I mentioned in my Carbonara post, we want to render the fat from the bacon to avoid that gummy texture or scorched flavour. The key is a cold pan and slow rising heat.

3. Once the bacon is crispy, take it out of the pan and set aside. Using the fat from the bacon, add in the onion and caramelize it. Then add the garlic and let it cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add in the rice to the pan and cook it for a few minutes. the key is to coat each grain with the oil, caramelized onion, and garlic. Don't forget to add some salt, pepper and Italian seasonings.

5. Once that's done, pour in that white wine. With all the richness from the bacon fat, the wine helps cut through by lending some acidity.

6. Has the alcohol evaporated? Good! Now at this stage, this is where patience is a virtue. Add one cup of the warm broth to the rice mixture. Do not keep your eyes away from the pat. Cook it until the rice absorbs the broth. Then add another cup of broth. You're going to want to repeat this step until you used up all the broth or when the rice is cooked.

7. Add in the chopped apple and cooked bacon. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Then mix in the parsley and parmesan. This is where you taste your risotto, does it need more salt or pepper? If you want it more creamy go ahead and add some cream if you want.

8. Grab a dollop and top it extra bacon and pea shoots. Dig in!