Red Pepper-Saffron Risotto

Woo hoo! My husband bought a shiny new stainless steel pressure cooker for me! ❤ This is the first dish I’ve made in it. I LOVE pressure cooker risotto! I have been receiving tons of red long peppers in my CSA share so this recipe seemed like the golden opportunity to break in my new fancy pot. 🙂

This dish had such a beautiful color from not only the red peppers, but also from the saffron. The saffron significantly enhanced the flavor as well. Lovely!

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Martha Rose Shulman. I modified the recipe by doubling the peppers (I had so many, I had to use them!), using homemade stock, and by cooking the risotto in a pressure cooker. Pretty and delicious. 🙂

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 6 to 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used homemade turkey stock)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onion or shallot
• 3-4 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large red peppers, finely diced (I used 5 red long peppers)
• coarse salt, to taste
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• a generous pinch of saffron threads
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or a mixture of parsley and thyme
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/2 cup

1. In a 5 to 7 quart pressure cooker, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the peppers are limp and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir over medium heat until the grains are separate and beginning to crackle, about 3 minutes.
4. Rub the saffron threads between your fingers and add to the rice.
5. Add the unheated stock and the wine. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
6. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain medium-high pressure. (On my new pot, the pressure should only reach the first red line.) Cook for 7 minutes.
7. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions or place the pot under running (trickling) cold water. Carefully open the lid, being careful of the steam.
   
8. Stir in the cheese; taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the herbs.

One Year Ago:

• Roasted Red Pepper, Corn, & Tomato Soup

Two Years Ago:

• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Sauce
• Gratin of Eggplant, Roasted Red Peppers, & Garlic

Three Years Ago:

• Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto