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5.0 from 9 votes

Lemon Dill Risotto

An herby twist on a classic risotto using meyer lemon to add a sweet and sour taste.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: North American , Italian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sweet onion, (minced finely)
  • 2 cloves garlic, (crushed and minced)
  • 1 meyer lemon, (minced rind and all, juices reserved)
  • ½ cup dill, (chopped)
  • ½ cup Chives, (chopped)
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 ½ cups short grain rice, (such as sweet rice, arborio, or carnaroli)
  • 3-4 cups water or broth, (boiling)
  • 4 tablespoon Butter, (divided)
  • Salt and pepper, (to taste)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a saucepan, melt half of the butter at a medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a pinch of salt and slowly sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Next, add the white wine, minced meyer lemon, and garlic to the saucepan and cook until the wine has reduced to syrupy consistency, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Then, add the rice and the remaining butter and stir to coat the rice evenly in the butter-wine sauce.
  4. Once the pan starts to dry out, slowly start adding the boiling water or broth, about a ½ cup at a time, and stir frequently. This process should take about 15-20 minutes to use up the whole 3-4 cups of water. After about 10 minutes start checking rice, it should be soft but still slightly chewy like pasta.
  5. Lastly, add the chopped herbs and some salt and pepper to taste. Serve the risotto immediately with some additional herbs, butter, and lemon for topping.

Notes

  • if meyer lemons are not available using 1 lemon, zested and juiced, as a substitute would work just as well. Or, if you can find preserved lemon, mince about ¼ to ½ of a lemon instead, be sure to adjust for saltiness because preserved lemon can be very salty.Â