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Sweet Corn Risotto

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Gluten Free
  • Vegetarian
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Big Kids Plate
Toddler Plate

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Why we love it:

Risotto is more than just rice, it’s creamy, stew like, porridge adjacent, and can be flavored in endless ways. In the summer, sweet corn is the way to go! It’s truly not hard to make risotto and you do not have to slave over the stove for an hour constantly stirring. Our method has you stirring for only 10 minutes max. Give it a go and let us know what you think!
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Ingredients

  • 8 cups Vegetable Stock (divided)
  • 1 Yellow Onion (small, or even just use ½ of one)
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 cups Arborio Rice
  • 1⁄2 cup White Wine (or ¼ cup cider vinegar)
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (divided)
  • 3 ears Corn
  • 1 bunch Fresh Chives
  • 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (divided)
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese (divided)
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. STOCK

    Bring the stock to a boil in a small pot. When it’s boiling, reduce to a very gentle simmer.

  • 2. ONION

    Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. An enameled Dutch oven is a good choice for a pot or use a tall sided sauté pan or pot with a wide bottom. Set over medium heat and add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté for about 4 minutes until the onion is translucent.

  • 3. ADD RICE

    Add the rice and toast it on the bottom of the pot, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. You’ll see the edges of the grains turning translucent. At that time, add the wine or vinegar and stir while it sizzles and bubbles out.

    Now add about 2 cups of stock and 1 teaspoon of salt; bring to a boil while stirring for about 1 minute. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to swirl the grains of rice together a bit forcefully to cause friction.
    Turn the heat down to medium-low and set a timer for 10 minutes; during this time you don’t have to stir.

  • 4. CORN

    Husk the corn and char it over a gas flame stovetop; or broil it; or heat it in a dry sauté pan over high heat. Cook all sides and let it cool until you can hold it. Slice off the kernels. Place the cobs into the boiling stock pot (if only 1 fits, freeze the rest - see Culinary Tips notes).

  • 5. BLEND

    This is optional but worth it - place 1 cup of the kernels in a small blender or food processor and add 1 cup of the hot stock. Blend until mostly smooth. Set aside.

    Chop the chives and set aside.

  • 6. BACK TO RICE

    When the 10 minutes is up, add about ½ of the remaining stock. Stir vigorously again for about 1 minute. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Check after that time period and stir in the blended corn, and another cup of stock. Taste it at this point and you might want more salt. Also gauge how much longer the rice needs to cook - is it soft or still crunchy?

    Add the last of the stock, maybe not all of it, and the whole kernels; simmer for 1 minute until it’s well combined. Add the chopped chives, reserving just a few for garnish.

    Turn off the heat and dot the top with butter. Add ½ cup parmesan cheese. Cover and let it sit for 4 minutes.

  • 7. SERVING

    Lift off the lid and stir. Ladle into large flat bowls. Top evenly with the rest of the parmesan and black pepper and chives to taste.

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Substitutions

  • DAIRY FREE:
    omit butter and parmesan. Top with nutritional yeast for cheesiness if desired
  • PESCATARIAN:
    this is a smash hit with seared shrimp or scallops - try tuna or salmon as well
  • CHIVES:
    omit if you don't love the flavor or just serve with all basil leaves to omit buying two herbs
  • ARBORIO RICE:
    carnaroli rice also works for risotto. If you sub another rice, you don’t get the starch you need. You can adapt this by steaming white rice or calrose rice but it will definitely not be risotto

Kid Friendly Version

Big Kids Plate
Toddler Plate

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

  • If corn is their friend, I’d try serving the risotto in full but perhaps hold back on the chives
  • You could also try making the risotto without the corn, all the way to the very very end, plate theirs plain, then stir in the corn for everyone else. It’s ok if it doesn’t cook very long in the risotto
  • Add some bread or crackers for dipping, some fruit and raw veggies to round out the plate

For Toddlers

  • Risotto is a great texture for toddlers, you could mash or blend theirs up a bit if they’re young or skeptical

For Choosy Eaters

  • Try the plain risotto, no corn, or serve some corn on the side if they enjoy it
  • Add bread, a scoop of plain cheese, carrots and fruit
  • You could also just boil some rice on the side for them - or, my kids love plain broth, so I’d serve a little side cup of that - basically deconstructed risotto
  • Also ask them to taste one bite of the real thing

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

  1. Prep the corn
  2. Boil the cob in the stock
  3. You could blend the kernels and keep that aside too
  4. Otherwise, this is best the day of, it’s never the same reheated. If you have leftovers, you can certainly reheat on the stove or microwave for a yummy rice dish, but it isn’t quite perfect risotto when reheated

Culinary Skills

You truly don’t have to stir constantly. The friction of the grains of rice while stirring creates the creamy liquid in the final dish. Adding cheese and butter helps too; but also, just the simmering rice creates the thick broth. When you stir, make figure 8s and be vigorous to get the most out of your crashing into-each-other grains.

 

You can skip the blended corn, but this step adds to the bright corn flavor.

 

If you have more ears or corn, freeze them and use them to make stock next time. Or, if you make this again, pull a kernel-less ear out and add it while the stock is boiling. The “milk” from the kernels is very flavorful.

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