Have you ever tried a combination of apples and bacon in a beautiful savoury dish? Our Apple Risotto recipe is here to show you how to make a delicious meal that's both unique and easy to prepare. With our step-by-step guide and plenty of helpful tips, you'll be whipping up restaurant-quality risotto full of subtle apple flavour in no time. Let's get cooking!
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Unique Risotto: Let's Be Playful!
Apple in risotto? Absolutely!
Cooking at home should be fun, exciting and delicious! Why not put a twist on a classic and have some fun experimenting with flavours? Get creative and try something new-you might just discover your next favourite dish!
Loving bacon in risottos? Try our Savoy Cabbage Risotto With Bacon next time!
Ingredient Notes
- oil: olive, sunflower, rapeseed (canola) or avocado oil.
- brown onion: may be replaced with shallots.
- garlic clove: finely chopped or minced.
- caster sugar: optional. Omit it if you're using extra sweet apples or are adding any apple juice or apple cider to your risotto.
- risotto rice: arborio or carnaroli rice.
- lemon juice: we use lemon juice instead of adding white wine. If you have any apple brandy (2 tbsp), apple juice (4 tbsp) or apple cider (4 tbsp) you can add a noted amount of it too.
- vegetable stock or chicken stock: homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth will make this apple risotto even tastier.
- apples: peeled, cored, cut into small ½ cm cubes and tossed with a little lemon juice. Make sure to cut the apple into tiny pieces, as they need to soften but retain a little crunch in a short period of time. Read more about the best varieties of apples for this risotto below.
- unsalted butter.
- parmesan: may be replaced with other hard Italian cheese. Alternatively, try this risotto with some gorgonzola!
- bacon lardons (pancetta): smoked or unsmoked.
The Best Apples For Risotto
When making apple risotto, almost any eating apple will do. Just avoid cooking apples, as they're too tart. We used Braeburn apples for their balanced flavour, but you have plenty of options.
Granny Smith apples are a good choice if you like a bit of tartness. Gala and Pink Lady apples are also great for this dish. Each apple variety brings its unique taste, making your risotto deliciously versatile.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Prepare the stock and keep it warm on low heat.
2. Peel, core and dice your apples into ½ cm cubes. Toss them with some lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Chop your onions and garlic finely.
3. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan or a large saucepan. Add the diced onion and saute them on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes until softened, but do not let them brown much.
4. Add the garlic and risotto rice, increase it to medium heat and toast the rice until slightly translucent, for 1-2 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the sugar (if using) all over the rice, add the lemon juice and a small ladleful of stock and stir for a moment, until the mixture is absorbed into the rice.
6. One ladle at a time, add the hot stock to the rice. Stir risotto often to promote the release of the starch from the rice. Only add another ladle when the stock is almost fully absorbed.
7. In the meantime, cook the bacon in a separate frying pan, until brown and crispy. Set it aside for later.
8. With the last ladle of stock, add the diced apples and stir until the stock is almost absorbed. Your rice should be cooled al dente (with a little bite in the centre of each rice grain). It should take 15-20 minutes over medium heat.
9. Take the risotto off the heat, and stir in half of the parmesan and a tablespoon of butter into the rice mixture. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, if required, and cover the pan with a lid and leave it for 1-2 minutes.
10. Scatter the crispy bacon on top, and serve with extra parmesan cheese.
Secrets To Creamy Risotto
If this is your first time making a risotto, here are the four secrets to make a good basic risotto recipe:
1. Choice of Rice: The foundation of any homemade risotto lies in its key ingredient- the rice. Choose Carnaroli or Arborio rice to be the hero of this creamy rice dish. These grains are stout, starchy, and resilient, designed to endure cooking while absorbing warm stock without losing their shape.
2. Toasting the Rice: Toasting the rice in a large pan is an important step. It seals the grains, protecting their shape and ensuring they have that desirable al dente finish with a slight chew.
3. Temperature Control with Hot Stock: Keep the stock at a low simmer in a separate pan. This steady cooking temperature allows the rice to cook evenly. For that perfect creamy consistency, this step is essential.
4. Gradual Addition of Stock: The secret to unlocking the rice's starchy potential and achieving that luxurious creamy texture lies in the patience of adding the stock bit by bit and constant stirring.
Add a splash of dry white wine early in the process for extra depth of flavour, but it isn't necessary. Read more about making a perfect risotto here.
What To Serve With Apple Risotto?
This apple risotto with bacon has lots of complex flavours and textures that leaves nothing to be desired. Serve it as a main dish with a glass of wine and nutritious vegetables for a complete meal. We love this risotto dish with some Balsamic Brussels Sprouts or Pea Shoot Salad on the side.
This sweet and savoury risotto can also be served as a side dish to pork chops or French Pork Tenderloin!
Storage and Leftovers
If you have leftovers, cool them down to room temperature. Then scoop the risotto into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, place the risotto into a medium saucepan with a splash of hot water and stir over medium-low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, heat it in a microwave. Note, that the rice will no longer be al dente after reheating.
We do not recommend freezing our Apple Risotto.
Creamy Apple Risotto With Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 brown onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped or minced
- ½ teaspoon caster sugar
- 160 g (¾ cups) risotto rice arborio or carnaroli
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 800 ml (3¼ cups) vegetable stock or chicken stock, hot
- 2 apples peeled, cored, cut into small ½ cm cubes and tossed with a little lemon juice
- 15 g (1 heaped tbsp) butter
- 30 g (⅓ cups) parmesan finely grated
- 100 g (3.53 oz) bacon lardons or pancetta
Instructions
- Prepare the stock and keep it warm on low heat.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped onions and saute them on low-medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened, but do not let them brown much.
- Add the garlic and risotto rice, increase the heat to medium and toast the rice until slightly translucent, for 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the sugar all over the rice (skip sugar if your apples are very sweet , add the lemon juice and a small ladleful of stock and stir for a moment, until the mixture is absorbed into the rice.
- One ladle at a time, add the stock into the rice, stirring often. Only add another ladle when the stock is almost fully absorbed.
- In the meantime, cook the bacon in a separate frying pan, until brown and crispy. Set it aside for later.
- With the last ladle of stock, add the cubed apples and stir until the stock is almost absorbed.
- Take the risotto off heat, stir in half of the parmesan and the butter, cover the pan with a lid and leave it for 1-2 minutes.
- Scatter the crispy bacon on top, and serve with extra parmesan.
Nutrition
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