Risotto with Fried Egg

When I think of peasant food I always think of the most delicious and comforting dishes.  Recipes born out of necessity that stand the test of time, passing from one generation to the next.  I think mostly, for me, the very definition of peasant food is making something with what you have on hand.  Now that might not sound appealing to some; but, to people like us (who love food) we know that making something delicious with what we have on hand is the sign of a good cook.  It's the true test.  And, quite often, it's these recipes that are the most well-loved of all.


Take Tessa's recipe for Risotto with Fried Egg for example.  It's a very basic dish using ingredients that everyone is sure to have on hand, but it is the method with which it is put together that is exciting, fresh, and something I'm quite sure everyone would be pleased to eat.  Creamy cheesy rice, with crispy fried sage leaves, and a nice egg with a runny yolk so that it can drip down into the rice.  Total comfort food!  Better yet, it would be great served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

 Risotto with Fried Egg

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

 Tessa says: "These are all the things my family loves - white risotto, egg, Parmesan - on one plate.  The egg yolk must be soft when you serve it so that it can drip into the rice, and we like the white to be golden and frayed around the edge."

3 tablespoons butter

 4 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

1-2/3 cup risotto rice

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups hot vegetable broth

freshly grated nutmeg

salt 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

about 8 fresh sage leaves

4 eggs

grated Parmesan and black pepper, to serve

Heat half the butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan suitable for making risotto.  Saute the shallots over low heat until light gold and then stir in the rice with a wooden spoon.  Stir for a few minutes to completely coat the rice and let it cook just a bit.  Add the wine, and when that has evaporated, add all of the broth.  Add a few good grinds of nutmeg and taste for salt.  Simmer uncovered over high heat for about 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed much of the liquid.  If it seems as if it needs a bit more liquid, add some hot water.  Remove from the hat and stir in the remaining butter and the Parmesan.  Taste for salt, adjusting if necessary.  Leave with the lid on so that the steam continues to cook the rice.

Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan and briefly fry the sage leaves until crisp.  Remove with tongs.  Gently break the eggs into the pan and sprinkle a little salt on the yolks.  Cook until the edges of the white are a bit golden.  Cover the pan with a lid and fry until the yolks are just slightly opaque on the surface but still soft inside (they are best when the undersides are golden and a bit crisp).  

Scoop rice onto serving plates and top each serving with an egg and a couple of sage leaves, being careful not to break the yolk just yet.  Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan and a few grinds of black pepper for those who want it.

Theme: Peasant Food