White Truffle Risotto with 30-Month Parmesan

⏱ 45 min · Serves 4

Silky carnaroli rice cooked slowly in a good chicken stock, finished with cold butter and a snowfall of aged Parmesan, then crowned with shaved white truffle. Simple, luxurious, and utterly restaurant-worthy — the kind of dish that stops conversation at the table.

Per serving: 628 kcal · 18.0g protein · 68.0g carbs · 29.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.3 litres good chicken or light vegetable stock
• 320g carnaroli or arborio rice
• 1 small banana shallot, very finely diced
• 60g unsalted butter, cold and cubed, plus 20g for the soffritto
• 2 tbsp mild olive oil
• 100ml dry white vermouth or dry white wine
• 90g aged Parmigiano Reggiano (ideally 30-month), finely grated, plus extra to serve
• 15–20g fresh white truffle (or 2 tsp white truffle paste plus 1 tsp truffle oil)
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer in a saucepan and keep it hot but never boiling.
2. In a wide heavy pan, melt 20g butter with the olive oil over low heat. Sweat the shallot with a pinch of salt for 6–8 minutes until completely soft but not coloured.
3. Add the rice and toast, stirring, for 2 minutes until the grains are hot and translucent at the edges.
4. Pour in the vermouth and stir until fully absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell has gone.
5. Add hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring often and only adding more once the previous addition is nearly absorbed. Keep the risotto at a lively, steady simmer. This takes 16–18 minutes; the rice should be tender with a slight bite and the texture loose and flowing.
6. Take the pan off the heat and rest for 1 minute. Beat in the cold butter cubes vigorously, then the grated Parmesan, then the lemon juice. This mantecatura is what makes it glossy — work it hard for a full minute.
7. Adjust with a splash more stock so the risotto spreads slowly on a tilted plate. Season carefully with salt and white pepper.
8. Spoon into warm shallow bowls, shave the white truffle generously over each portion at the table, and finish with a little extra Parmesan.