beetroot risotto with sweet potatoes and brown butter
beetroot risotto with baked and fried sweet potatoes, topped with brown butter and fried sage.
This was the first year that I tried to grow sweet potatoes in my garden. I bought three plants this spring from Bokeslundsgården, a local farmer located here in Skåne. I thought that it was three plants of the same variety, a kind called Orleans that is more suitable for our Swedish climate. However, I realised that it was three different varieties when I harvested them: one purple, one yellow and one white.
The three plants had developed a beautiful green foliage, but I was very disappointed when I saw the tiny sweet potatoes when harvesting. As it was not enough for a proper dish in it self, I decided to use it to accompany a beetroot risotto. I baked parts of it in the oven with lots of garlic and olive oil, and cut the rest thinly and fried to get some super lovely crips.
I always make a big batch of risotto while at it, to have some left overs to make Arancini the day after!
I always save the Parmesan rinds, as it is perfect to throw in while cooking risotto for a creamier result. Keep them in the freezer if you need to store for a longer period.
Risotto
250 g fresh beetroot, finely grated
100 g shallots or red onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
3 tbsp good olive oil
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
400 g risotto rice
150ml white wine
1 later chicken or vegetable stock
100 g parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
Salt and peppar
Heat the stock. Peel and grate the beetroots, finely chop the shallots and crush the garlic.
In a separate pan, heat the oil and add the beetroots, shallots, garlic and rosemary, and fry gently until softened but not coloured.
Add the rice and turn up the heat, keep stirring until it starts looking slightly translucent.
Add the wine and keep stirring until it has evaporated.
Remove the garlic and the rosemary.
Add the first ladle of hot stock and turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside.
Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, constantly stirring, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the Parmesan, then stir well. Taste with salt and pepper to you liking.
Place a lid on the pan and let it rest for a few minutes.
brown butter
50 g butter
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
fresh sage
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the sage leaves. Stir occasionally for the butter to cook evenly. After a few minutes, the butter will turn golden brown and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan will toast, and you will feel a lovely nutty scent.
When the risotto was ready, I placed it on a plate and topped it with my baked sweet potatoes, the sweet potato crisps and sage leaves and then drizzled a lot of the nutty brown butter on top. Super yummy!
