Lemon Risotto

Lemon juice and peel offer a double punch of flavor in this delicious dish. Serve the risotto Italian-style as a first course, or American-style as a main course.

• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings.

Bon Appétit, May 2002 -- Substitutions: I pretty much stick to the recipe with this one, but try to use as little butter as possible. Leaving out the butter is not detrimental to the risotto's instrinsic creaminess. Trust me. I also like to add in fresh spinach toward the end of the cooking period because spinach is awesome. i have also substituted onions for shallots on a number of occasions.