The Best First Sicilian Dish Ever

Hi guys! Miss me? Well.. if you did, can you keep it up, miss me for maybe 2 or 3 more days? Because then I can finally tell you why I have been all over the place (literally)!

For now, enjoy this delicious guest post by Hanna Johnson! And yes, it is a recipe (finally, am I right??)
If any of you are living in Australia at the moment, you will know that 

  1. The cold is causing us to lose toes and fingers. Am I the only heater-obsessed person at the moment?
  2. With cold, comes major warm food cravings!

And what better way to combat that cold than with a delicious risotto that warms you up inside out, from head to toe?

Sicilian cuisine is unique on its own because of the mixture and traces of various foreign influences such as Arab, Spanish and Greek. You will find that Sicilian food makes use of products that are traditionally grown in their land as well as those that come from their seas. They make use of the freshest seasonal ingredients which make their food some of the best. There is a wide variety of starters, pasta, main dishes as well as desserts and sweets. The cuisine is actually one reason why tourists visit the island. A holiday to Sicily is never complete without tasting real Sicilian food. If you are planning your holiday to Sicily, you can find many ideas on wishsicily.com.


risotto ai carciofi 1

One of the traditional Sicilian dishes is Risotto coi Carciofi which is Artichoke Rice. You might think that risotto is a Northern Italian dish but the rice that is used for this particular dish is white Arborio which has been a staple in Sicilian cuisine for a very long time. The Sicilians imported it from the regions of Lombardy and the Piedmont since medieval times. Consequently, the dish is as old as one can imagine. Risotto coi Carciofi is a great summer recipe and if you desire to try this dish even if you are far from Sicily, you might want to have a go at the recipe.

Risotto coi Carciofi

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 400 grams (or about 1 pound) Arborio rice – This recipe calls exactly for this kind of rice and you can find them in an Italian specialty store if necessary.
  • 6 large artichokes, raw
  • 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 100 grams grated caciocavallo (This is a Sicilian cheese which is best for this recipe but parmesan or pecorino can be used as substitute)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • About 50 grams of fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Let a pot of water boil while you clean the artichokes. The pot should be big enough to accommodate both artichokes and rice. Pull off the bracts and be sure to remove completely the chokes. Leave the tender leaves attached to the hearts and slice them into medium-sized chunks.
    risotto ai carciofi 2
  2. Sprinkle lemon juice over the cleaned artichokes to prevent them from turning dark.risotto ai carciofi 3
  3. Place them in the boiling water until tender but not completely cooked.
  4. At this point, you can add the rice and allow it to cook. (Hint: Arborio rice is cooked in the same way as others but you should let it absorb more liquid which should make the dish creamy in texture.)
    risotto ai carciofi 4
    risotto ai carciofi 5
  5. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped garlic and onions in the olive oil. Don’t burn them!
  6. Add these into the boiling mixture, including the wine.
  7. Finely chop the parsley. When the rice is ready, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to absorb any remaining liquid. Be careful that it doesn’t become dry.
  8. Just before serving, stir in the cheese and chopped parsley and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

risotto ai carciofi 6

Note:

If my stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is certainly kicking up a ruckus now! I can almost taste that artichoke-fluffy-risotto from my chair (and now I am vaguely resembling Homer when he drools over donuts, albeit I am being much healthier in my daydreams) 😛

Thanks for the wonderful guest post Hanna!

16 Comments

  2. Eva Taylor says:

    Hope you’re back soon Uru!
    What a coincidence, my most recent post is using risotto but I made Arancini out of it! The artichoke sounds incredible in the risotto, we adore artichoke.

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  6. Debra says:

    Uru, you have really been missed, but thank you for thinking of us and saying hello! 🙂 And Hanna, I love risotto. and would really enjoy giving this a try. It looks delicious!

    Like

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  7. eliotthecat says:

    Ha—come warm your toes here. Over 100F heat index. Steamy and balmy. (But, I would still like some comforting risotto.)

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  11. kitchenriffs says:

    LOVE risotto. Never tried it this way before — really interesting. Can’t wait to hear all about the news you have to share with us!

    Like

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