Podcast Guest Recipes: Michael Tashman’s Risotto with Truffle Butter

1. Turn the heat under your pot to medium, spoon in your truffle butter, and heat for about 1 minute until it’s melted.
2. Toss in your shallots and/or garlic. Sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. 
3. Pour in your arborio rice into the hot pot. Stir constantly for about 2-3 minutes, until rice is toasted. You should be able to see the rice grains brighten in color, and smell the aromas from the toasting rice. 
4. Keep your stock at a warm temperature. Heat up in a small pot right next to your risotto pot. With your ladle, continuously add the stock and stir it into the risotto, so you’ll need to have the stock warm so it doesn’t cool down the pot when poured in.
5. Heat up chicken stock in a small pot right next to your risotto pot. With your ladle, continuously add the stock and white wine to the rice for about 25 minutes, until the grains are soft.
6. The natural starches of the arborio rice will magically release throughout the process of adding stock/wine and stirring, working with you to create the creamy consistency desired. For an acid & sweet taste, use a ratio of 4/1 stock to wine. If you like it milder, use a 6 or 7/1 ratio. Never drown the risotto in the broth and wine. Always add in enough to just barely submerge the rice grains in liquid.
7. Repeat this process for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring vigorously, adding in salt and pepper throughout, and tasting as you go, until the risotto grains are softened to your liking.
8. For those using a 4/1 ratio of stock to wine, add in wine for every 4 times you add in stock until the risotto is soft. You’ll want to add in liquid every 1 to 1.5 minutes. Follow the same pattern if using a 6 or 7/1 ratio. If the dish is too acidic and you taste too much of the wine for your liking, simply reduce the ratio to add in more stock. And remember to season with salt and pepper throughout.
9. Once the risotto grains are soft, and you’ve achieved a creamy (but not too thick) consistency, turn off your heat, and stir in your grated parmesan.

This recipe was provided by Michael Tashman. Michael is founder of Churn Foods. While working as a fine chef, Michael came up with the idea of a chef-to-shelf CPG business for flavored butter. At the time, he didn’t see any others being offered nationwide. While there are some flavored butters on the market now, none of them go for sustainable sourcing like Michael does with organic grass fed butter. He also sources relatively local in terms of getting butter from his home state of California.