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Why It Works
- A combination of carrot juice and roasted carrots adds sweet, earthy complexity to the risotto, while harissa adds a welcome hint of heat to the dish.
- Adding the liquid in smaller increments ensures that the rice grains cook slowly at the same time that the risotto reaches a flowing consistency.
Luscious, creamy risotto is a dish I cook routinely at home. It’s a filling pantry-friendly meal that’s relatively easy and quick to make, and while it does require some time spent stirring by the stove, it is neither excessive in ingredients nor difficult. But perhaps my favorite thing about risotto is that once you have the basic method down for the Italian rice dish, it’s effortlessly adaptable to a wide range of flavorful additions.
In the spring I’ll fold in fresh garden peas and chives, in the summer fresh corn and basil, in the fall minced pear and gorgonzola cheese, and winter some meaty smoked porchetta cubes. The possibilities are endless. In this recipe below, my Des Moines–based test kitchen colleague Emily Nienhaus has developed what is my new favorite nontraditional spin on risotto: creamy, cheesy rice with sweet, earthy carrots complemented by a faint fiery hint of spicy harissa, the North African oil-based chili paste.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
As our editorial director, Daniel, speaks passionately about in his deep dive into classic risotto al Parmigiano, well-made risotto features grains of rice in a creamy sauce that’s thick but still readily flows, settling into a shallow, flattened pool with little more than a shake of the plate. We’re talking something a bit thicker than most cream-based soups but thinner than most bowls of oatmeal. So when adding additional ingredients to risotto, Emily made sure to preserve the fundamentals of Daniel’s cooking technique to achieve risotto’s classic “all’onda,” (like a wave) texture.
To incorporate multiple layers of deep, earthy, sweet carrot flavor, Emily uses carrots in three unique ways. First, she adds pure carrot juice to the chicken stock the rice is cooked in—using a combination of juice and stock gives the risotto a balanced savory flavor that’s still carrot-forward. Second, roasted diced carrots are folded into the risotto once it’s fully cooked. Sweet, lightly caramelized carrots bulk up the risotto, add some textural bite that contrasts beautifully with the creamy risotto, and provide a welcome pop of bright orange color.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
Lastly, the risotto is finished with a freshly prepared mixture that uses the carrot’s green tops combined with lemon zest and crunchy store-bought fried shallots for a gremolata-like topping. It’s a vibrant pop of vegetal flavor that only takes a minute or two to mix together. If you’re unable to get carrots with their greens still attached, you can use fresh parsley in place of the carrot tops.
And don’t underestimate the harissa paste here. This tingly, spiced condiment animates the rice for a lively take on risotto. This carrot-harissa risotto is easy enough for a weeknight but exciting enough for your next dinner party. I love it as a first course or served alongside seared white fish or on its own as a light main course.
Why It Works
This recipe was developed by Emily Nienhaus; the headnote was written by Leah Colins.
This Sweet and Fiery Risotto Breaks the Mold—and It Works
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1 pound (454 g) carrots with tops, green tops removed and reserved, carrots peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (see notes)
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3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt use half as much by volume
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/2 cup minced carrot greens from above or minced fresh parsley
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1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice from 1 lemon, divided
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1/2 cup store-bought crispy fried shallots or homemade fried shallots
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3 cups (720 ml) pure, unsweetened fresh or store-bought carrot juice
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2 cups (480 ml) homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
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1 large shallot, minced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 1/2 cups short- or medium-grain risotto rice, such as carnaroli, arborio, or vialone nano (10.5 ounces; 300 g)
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2 teaspoons (10 ml) homemade or store-bought harissa paste
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1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
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2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
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3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (3 ounces; 85 g)
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400ºF (205°C). Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until evenly coated. Spread carrots in an even layer. Bake until carrots are tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Once roasted, set aside 1/3 cup carrots for garnish.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
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Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine carrot greens or parsley, fried shallots, and lemon zest; set aside.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
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In a medium saucepan, bring carrot juice and stock or broth to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid to hold warm.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
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In a 3- or 5-quart saucier or medium Dutch oven, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add fresh shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Increase heat to medium-high, add rice, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until rice is evenly coated in oil and toasted but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Rice should smell nutty and grains should start to look like tiny ice cubes: translucent around the edges and cloudy in the center.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
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Add wine and harissa paste and cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of stock and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until liquid is mostly absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, adding stock in 1/2-cup increments while stirring constantly, until rice is almost fully softened but still retains a noticeable al dente bite in the center, 15 to 20 minutes total. Add enough stock so that there is enough liquid in the pot for the rice to flow like lava when you stir it. Remove from heat.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
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Stir in cheese and butter and stir or toss vigorously until cheese and butter are fully melted and emulsified and a creamy, satiny glaze coats each grain of rice. Keep in mind that the risotto will tighten up and thicken in the time it takes to plate and serve it, so adjust with more stock as needed to achieve a free-flowing consistency, leaving it looser than you think it should be. Season with additional salt to taste, if needed. Stir in the remaining (all but 1/3 cup) roasted carrots and lemon juice into risotto.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
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Spoon risotto onto warmed plates, shaking gently to spread risotto out over each plate in an even layer. Top each portion with reserved roasted carrots and dressed carrot greens. Serve right away.
Serious Eats / Kelsey Hansen
Special Equipment
Medium saucepan, 3- or 5-quart saucier or medium Dutch oven
Notes
If you can’t find carrots with their green tops attached, you can substitute fresh parsley for carrot tops in the garnish.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Once finished, risotto is best eaten right away. However, leftovers can turned into risotto al salto (crispy rice pancakes).
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