Considering everyone’s need to cook more at home these days, Chef Nicolae Lică from JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel in Bucharest shares a recipe that can be easily made in our own kitchen. 
 

Ingredients for Beetroot Risotto

Ingredients for 1 portion:

80 g Acquarello rice

40 g Gorgonzola cheese 

2 cups vegetables stock

100 g roasted beetroot

1 tbs chopped onion

75g butter

200 ml dry white wine

100 g grated Parmesan cheese

1 pc spring carrots

10 g Crispy San Danielle ham

How to prepare:

In a separate pot, heat up the stock. 

Roast the beetroot until it’s soft, then peel it and cut in small quarters.

Fry the onion in half the quantity of butter, until it becomes transparent, and then add the rice. When the rice is transparent, add the white wine. Once the rice has fully absorbed the wine, gradually add the hot stock, using a ladle and stirring continuously.

When the rice becomes al dente (after about 16-18 minutes), add Gorgonzola cheese, half of the parmesan, and the rest of the butter cubes. Taste for salt and pepper.  The final dish should have a creamy, rich consistency.

Garnish the plate with buttered beetroot, spring carrots, crispy ham and aromatic herbs, and for the final touch, sprinkle some beetroot powder. Serve it while warm.

*A glass of Sauvignon Blanc will go well with this rice dish.

(photos by chef Nicolae Lica/JW Marriott) 

Want to share any recipes with us? Do you have a favorite Romanian dish or a reinterpreted Romanian dish? Send us your recipe and we will publish it on Romania Insider. Email us your recipes and a few pictures of your dish at cooking@romania-insider.com.