Artichoke Risotto

Method

1. Clean the artichokes: remove the tough outer leaves, peel the stem, cut the stem into small cubes and the head into thin strips, then soak in water with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. In a saucepan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the chopped shallot with a pinch of salt until softened.
3. Add the chopped artichokes to the shallot, sauté briefly, then lower the heat and add a ladleful of warm vegetable broth.
4. In a separate pan, toast the risotto rice dry with a pinch of salt, stirring constantly until the rice changes color slightly.
5. Gradually add warm vegetable broth to the rice, one ladle at a time, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
6. When the rice is about 2 minutes from being done, add the cooked artichokes and continue cooking with a little more broth if needed.
7. Turn off the heat, add very cold butter from the fridge and stir vigorously to mantecare.
8. Add grated cheese (e.g., Parmigiano Reggiano) and stir to incorporate. Adjust consistency with a splash of broth if needed.
9. Add a few fresh thyme leaves and optionally some black pepper. Stir once more.
10. Plate the risotto and garnish with fresh thyme. Serve immediately.