What is romanesco and what does it taste like?

Romanesco is a striking, light green vegetable that visually sits between cauliflower and broccoli. Its taste is more refined, milder, and slightly nuttier than common cauliflower, which perfectly complements the macadamia nuts in this recipe.

Can I substitute the white wine in the recipe?

Certainly! The wine is there to give the rice a slight tang. If you prefer to cook without alcohol, you can replace the wine with an extra splash of broth and a good squeeze of lemon juice. This will give the dish the same fresh depth.

Can I prepare this dish in advance?

Risotto is best when freshly made, as the rice continues to absorb liquid. If you still want to prepare it in advance, cook the risotto halfway (until the rice is still quite firm), spread it out on a baking tray to cool quickly, and finish the last part just before serving with the remaining broth.

Risotto with Romanesco and chicken

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45min

•

Next Level

Are you looking for a main course that impresses, yet is surprisingly easy to prepare? This creamy risotto with romanesco is perfect for any festive occasion. The combination of the subtle, nutty flavour of romanesco, tender chicken thighs with a hint of curry, and the luxurious crunch of roasted macadamia nuts is a true taste explosion.

Want the best results? Pay attention to the details. The secret to a good risotto lies in patience. Add the chicken broth ladle by ladle and keep stirring; this releases the starch from the rice and gives you that iconic, creamy texture.

Ingredients

What do you need?

Quantity: 4P

0.5 romanesco
300 g risotto rice
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
150 ml white wine
10.5 l warm chicken broth
Pepper
Salt
200 g pecorino
1 splash of olive oil
8 chicken thighs
100 g macadamia nuts
1 lemon
¼ bunch of lemon thyme
1 tbsp curry powder

Preparation method

How do you make this?

Preparing the chicken thighs: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Season the chicken thighs with curry, pepper, salt, and lemon thyme. Mix everything well together.

Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and bake them for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Add the macadamia nuts in the last 5 minutes and continue baking.

Preparing the romanesco: Cut the romanesco finely.

Making the risotto: Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the risotto rice for 2 minutes while stirring.

Finely chop the garlic and onion and add them to the risotto rice. Let them sauté for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it reduce.

Add the finely chopped romanesco.

Gradually add the chicken broth, a splash at a time. Stir regularly and let the liquid absorb each time before adding a new splash. This process takes about 18 minutes, depending on the type of risotto rice.

Stir 150 g of freshly grated pecorino into the risotto.

Serve the risotto with the chicken thighs, macadamia nuts, and thyme. Finish with extra grated pecorino.

Tips

You can replace the Romanesco with cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin or celeriac, depending on the season. Add some lemon juice to the risotto for an extra fresh taste.