Prosciutto and Sweet Potato Risotto

I get so carried away sometimes with finding new recipes and cooking that I forget to actually blog about the things I cook! Case in point, I was on the phone with my sister yesterday and she said that as soon as I’m back on my feet she’d love to see a risotto recipe on Pixelated Crumb. As soon as she said it, I realized that we had in fact made one and had photographed it and everything, but I’d never actually gotten around to posting it. Which is a shame because it’s really good!

When I went back to find the photos, I found several other recipes that I haven’t posted yet. Recipes that are really, really good, but I just forgot that I hadn’t posted yet! The good news for all of you is that I’m laid up recovering from knee surgery, so I have plenty of time to revisit them, starting with the risotto.

Ok, spring is upon us (thank goodness), so you need to make this soon! Before long, farmers’ markets will be opening with bushels of fresh peas, artichokes, asparagus, arugala and we’ll suddenly forget all about sweet potatoes. And this is not a recipe that you want to wait till next fall to try. The soft, sweet, earthy sweet potatoes plays off the rich, salty prosciutto, and they are perfectly united by the tarragon tinted, creamy risotto. And hey, if you’re just desperate for springier food and you’re worried this won’t cut it, just throw in some peas. Either way, you’ll be so glad that you treated yourself to this dish.

Prosciutto and Sweet Potato Risotto #

Adapted from Risotto from Hamlyn

Serves 4

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup butter
1 bunch of scallions, finely sliced
1 3/4 cup arborrio rice
2 bay leaves
5 cups hot Chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
3 ounces prosciutto, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons chopped, mixed herbs, such as parsley, chervil, tarragon, and chives
salt and pepper

Cook the sweet potato pieces in lightly salted, boiling water for 2-3 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the scallions and sauté for one minute. Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with the butter.

Add the bay leaves to the rice. Add the hot chicken stock, one large ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed into the rice. Continue adding the stock this way, cooking until the rice is creamy, but the grains are still firm. This, accoring to the book, should take about 20 minutes, but always takes us closer to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the sweet potatoes, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the herbs to the risotto and season to taste wiht salt and pepper. Add the prosciutto and sweet potatoes, folding in gently. Cover and let the risotto rest for a few minutes before serving.