MEYER AND PARMESAN RISOTTO

Serves 4-6

For the past few years, since we arrived in upstate New York, my dear friend, Gene, has sent us from California a box of Meyer lemons every January, when he has pruned his trees. He’s generous with the number he sends, and he even throws in a few Eureka lemons, for good measure. Opening the box is like finding gold. Recently, I made a lemon risotto and sent him a picture of it, which prompted him to for the recipe. I’ve made it a thousand times, but didn’t have it written down. So here it now is. I toss in a bay leaf to the enhance the recipe. If you have a European bay tree–or if a friend does–add a fresh leaf to the rice, instead of a dried one. Grating nutmeg from a kernel is preferred, for freshness, rather than using it ground from a jar or tin, which tends to be tired and devoid of flavor. This risotto is as simple as it gets, and is super delicious!

½ small yellow onion, peeled, minced
30 ml/1 tablespoon olive oil
100 g/3 ½ oz unsalted butter, cut into pats, kept cold in refrigerator
8 g/1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
450 g/1 lb Carnaroli rice
120 ml/4 oz dry white wine 
950 ml/2 cups homemade chicken stock mixed with 950 ml/2 cups water
1 small bay leaf
A few gratings of nutmeg 
60 g/2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, finely grated
A grinder of Tellicherry black pepper

Saute onions over medium low heat in oil and two pats of butter until soft, without browning. Add rice and stir to coat with the oil. When rice becomes translucent, deglaze with wine and cook until the rice is nearly dry. With a wooden spoon, scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add stock (about 3 cups) to cover rice by 1/4 inch. Keep an enthusiastic simmer. Stir the rice every few minutes with a vigorous hand, to encourage rice to release its starch. Scrape the bottom of the pan to discourage scorching. When stock drops below the surface of the rice, add another cup or so of stock to again cover the rice. Don’t let the stock go too low or add too much that the emulsion breaks. Continue until the rice is tender but retains a firm bite, when it’s just past its crunch. It will be creamy and silken. Stir in the nutmeg. Taste the rice, and adjust the salt, if needed.

Off heat, whip in remaining the butter with your wooden spoon, to finish the rice. Let the rice rest for a minute. If it’s too stiff, add a few spoonfuls more of stock. Spoon into warm, shallow pasta bowls. Sprinkle with grated cheeese and fresh black pepper.

@2025 Christopher Lee