Risotto with Savoy Cabbage, Speck, and Fontina

The risotto with Savoy cabbage, speck, and fontina is a flavorful dish that combines simple and tasty ingredients. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 320 g risotto rice (carnaroli or arborio)
• 200 g Savoy cabbage (cabbage)
• 150 g speck, diced
• 100 g fontina, diced
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 glass dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Butter (as needed to finish cooking)
• Salt and pepper
• grated Parmesan (optional)

Preparation

1. Clean the Savoy cabbage by removing the tougher outer leaves, cut it into thin strips, and wash it well under running water.
2. In a pan, sauté the finely chopped half onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until it becomes translucent.
3. Add the diced speck and let it brown for a few minutes to release its aroma.
4. Add the cut cabbage and cook for a few minutes until it softens.
5. Add the rice and toast it in the soffritto for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Deglaze with the white wine until the alcohol evaporates.
7. Add a ladle of hot vegetable broth and continue cooking the risotto, adding more broth gradually each time the previous one dries up, always stirring.
8. When the rice is almost cooked (after about 16-18 minutes), add the diced fontina and stir in a piece of butter to make it creamy. If desired, you can also add a bit of grated Parmesan.
9. Adjust with salt and pepper and serve the risotto hot.

Trivia

The risotto with Savoy cabbage, speck, and fontina comes from Alpine tradition, where the pairing of winter vegetables with typical cheeses and cured meats gives life to substantial and warming recipes. Fontina, with its sweet flavor and its ability to melt and stretch, makes the risotto particularly creamy and inviting.