Seeing as I once argued that rice pudding should be breakfast food (what? grains, milk, a bit of sugar, sometimes berries — just like oatmeal!) it shouldn’t be any surprise that I’m now wondering if risotto could also be welcome in the earliest parts of the day. I mean, what if contained bacon and eggs? What if I warned you that if you start making risotto with leeks and bacon and finish it with a fried egg that you might not be able to go back to eating it another way? You can’t say I didn’t give you a heads-up.
I got the inspiration for breakfast risotto from an article I saw a few months back. Okay, it was many months. And every time I was about to make it, I found something better to do. Like, flossing. Or chasing my toddler around the apartment with a comb, trying to explain that he would one day thank me for not letting him leave the house looking like an unkempt Muppet. (Obviously, it didn’t work.) Eventually I had to admit that risotto, while lovely to eat when someone else makes it, is hardly my favorite way to dirty pots and pans. It’s the stirring, and also the starchiness; it’s the sleepiness of the usual inclusions (maybe mushrooms, asparagus and other delicately-minded green things), and that always requires that you make something else (a salad, or maybe some protein) that will make it seem more of a balanced meal. Risotto: It’s awfully demanding.
Which is all the more reason that the risotto approximation of breakfast, replete with bacon, runny eggs, cheese and leeks is nothing short of brilliant. Of course, with my put-an-egg-on-it approach to turning anything (fried rice? check. bean stew? check.) into a meal, you probably already know that this needn’t just be breakfast, or even lunch. It was, in fact, dinner for us the other night, a most luxurious one before we all hopped on a plane for a week on the beach, one I’m looking at now from a balcony while the other two-thirds of my little family snore the afternoon away, all gritty toes and freckled noses. It’s not at all hard to get used to.
One year ago: Ribboned Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Creme Brulee French Toasts
Two years ago: Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing, Homemade Pop Tarts, Cabbage and Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts and Leek Bread Pudding
Three years ago: Black Bread, Ranch Rugelach, and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Four years ago: Pizza Bianca, Brownie Roll-Out Cookies, and Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad
Five years ago: Margarita Cookies, Tequila Lime Chicken + Green Onion Salad and Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo and Olives
Bacon, Egg and Leek Risotto (Breakfast Risotto)
This recipe was lightly refreshed in 2023. The changes: Up to 2 cups more broth, as I often needed it. There’s no need to separately warm your broth for the stovetop directions. The onions and leeks now cook together and stay in the pan the whole time. The butter is added in two parts, some for cooking, some to finish. Finally, I’ve added oven directions as I love how hands-off and easy it is.- 1 cup (4 ounces) bacon or pancetta, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more to fry eggs
- 2 large or 3 smaller leeks, quartered lengthwise, cleaned of grit, and chopped small
- 1/2 small onion or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cups arborio, carnaroli, or another short-grained Italian rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth
- 6 to 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese, plus extra to finish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 to 6 large eggs (you’ll want one per serving)
- Minced fresh chives for garnish (optional)
If you plan to follow the oven directions, heat your oven now to 350°F.
Both methods begin on the stove: Place bacon or pancetta in a medium saucepan or deep sauté pan (3 to 4 quarts) and turn heat to medium high. Cook until the bacon/pancetta renders its fat and crisps, about 5 minutes, stirring as needed for even cooking. Remove with a slotted spoon to a towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving drippings in the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the bacon fat, and heat until melted. Add leeks and onion, and cook, stirring, until softened and mostly tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add rice and cook sauté until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add wine or vermouth and cook until it almost disappears, about 2 minutes.
To finish on the stove: Ladle 1 cup broth into the rice mixture and simmer until it absorbs, 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 al dente, about 25 to 30 minutes. What you’re looking for in well-cooked risotto is a creamy but loose dish. When ladled onto a plate, it should spill into a thick puddle, not heap in a mound. You might need an extra splash of broth to loosen it. When you achieve your desired texture and tenderness, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with crisped bacon or pancetta.
To finish in the oven: Add 6 cups of broth to rice mixture and turn heat to high to bring to a simmer. Once simmering, cover with lid (or foil, if you don’t have a lid) and transfer to the oven. Bake risotto in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed, but it looks a tiny bit watery. If the mixture looks dry once the rice is cooked, add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to combine. What you’re looking for in well-cooked risotto is a creamy but loose dish. When ladled onto a plate, it should spill into a thick puddle, not heap in a mound. When you achieve your desired texture and tenderness, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with crisped bacon or pancetta.
Both methods: Then, quickly, in a small skillet, heat a pat of butter over medium-high and swirl it to coat the pan. Crack one egg into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium. I like to cover the skillet with a small lid at this point, as it seems to help the egg cook faster and more evenly. In one minute, you should have a perfect sunny-side-up egg. Transfer to your first bowl of risotto and repeat with remaining eggs. Garnish each with an extra bit of grated parmesan, chives (if using), and eat immediately.
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