Grilled Eggplant Risotto

Manami's Note:

Serve with cherry-rich red: 2006 Chateau de La Chaize Brouilly. A healthy & vegetarian dish. For this super simple risotto, Chef Jonathan Justus, grills eggplant until smoky and charred & then blends the creamy flesh into the cooked rice. Just before serving he sprinkles on sumac, a tart Middle Easten spice made from the dried berry. Chef Jonathan Justus opened his Smithville, Missouri restaurant in his family's former drugstore last year (hence its name, James Drugstore). From F&W Magazine, 08/2008 - from "Green" Living Guide, Local Flavors.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 (1 1/2 lb) eggplants
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups hot vegetable stock or 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 -2 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• ground sumac

Directions:

1. Light a grill.
2. Rub the eggplant with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and grill over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until charred and soft, 20 minutes; let cool slightly.
3. Halve the eggplant lengthwise and scoop the pulp into a blender; puree until creamy.
4. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
5. Add the onion, shallot, garlic and rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, 5 minutes.
6. Add the wine and cook until it is absorbed.
7. Add the vegetable stock with crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup at a time; stir constantly until it is absorbed before adding more.
8. Cook until the rice is al dente, 20 minutes total.
9. Stir in the eggplant puree and the cream and season with salt and pepper.
10. Stir in the parsley and scallions.
11. Spoon the risotto into bowls, sprinkle with sumac and serve.

Reviews

[Dr. Jenny]

We liked this risotto. It was an interesting change-up from our typical risotto recipes. We made no modifications to the ingredients or cooking instructions. I enjoyed grated parmesan cheese over mine. Thanks!

[jdudar]

This recipe tasted so good that I can't wait to make it again! I had to make a few changes which included: baking the eggplant because I don't have a grill, and because I didn't have any shallots or sumac, I substituted more onions for shallots and paprika for sumac. (I considered adding lemon juice in place of sumac but I didn't want to risk having the cream curdle.)