According to medicine, cabbage is anti-inflammatory, very rich in iron, fiber, calcium and fatty acids, strengthens the immune system, antioxidants and anticancer, lowers blood pressure and protects the heart. What else do you want? So today let’s cook one of the many winter cabbages:savoy cabbage,beautiful like a rose.

Savoy Cabbage Risotto

Ingredients for 4/5 persons

Carnaroli /rice 300 g=1 ½ cup

(also Arborio or Roma Rice will work)

Savoy cabbage  1 medium

Shallot 2 small

Vegetable broth approximately 1 l= ca. 4 cups

White wine 50 ml=ca.3 tbsp.

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Fine Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

To get it creamy,for “mantecare “in Italian

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 100 g= 1 cup

cold Butter optional

PREPARATION

HOW TO PREPARE CABBAGE RISOTTO

To make the cabbage risotto, first prepare the vegetable broth  by the ready broth cube or follow the recipe on our site. Now clean the vegetables: peel and finely chop the shallot

– take the cabbage, remove the first external leaves

 – remove the hardest part of the core, both internal and external, using a knife.

-Cut the cabbage into strips about 2 cm = ca. 1 inch wide

 -transfer them to a strainer and rinse them under running water

-heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped shallot

 -let it simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes.

-When the shallot has become transparent, add the cabbage cut into strips

– let it cook for about 5 minutes, then add the salt and pepper, cover with a lid

– continue to stew the cabbage over low heat for about 25 minutes, adding a ladle of vegetable broth whenever needed

-After the cabbage has cooked, take another pan, heat a drizzle of oil and add the rice

-toast the rice over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, then add the white wine

-When the wine has evaporated completely, pour the toasted rice into the pan with the cabbage

 -mix well

-Proceed with cooking the risotto, adding the broth little by little until the rice is cooked

-At the end of cooking, turn off the heat and add the grated Parmigiano and  ,if you like, a knot of cold butter

-mix well to cream the risotto and season with salt and pepper. Your cabbage risotto is ready to be served

STORAGE

We recommend consuming the cabbage risotto immediately to enjoy it at its best. If necessary, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a maximum of 2 days. Freezing is not recommended.

ADVISE

If you prefer to give a stronger flavor to your cabbage risotto, replace the Parmigiano with grated pecorino.

Curiosity

In Italian we have a verb used properly for the final part of the preparation of the risotto : mantecare. A verb that comes from the Spanish “manteca”, which means “butter”.Mantecare means adding butter and Parmigiano cheese to a dish, such as risotto, to make it soft and creamy. Mantecare also means working fatty substances until a paste-like mixture is obtained.

And risotto has to be creamy.Buon appetito !