Red onion risotto with foie gras and spiced coffee

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Coloured a subtle pink by red onion juice, this elegant red onion risotto recipe from Francesco Apreda is topped with thin slices of foie gras for an indulgent finish. The foie gras is soaked, salted, poached and frozen to create a melt-in-the-mouth texture, so is well worth the effort.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Red onion risotto

  • 750g of red onion, whole
  • 300g of carnaroli risotto rice
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 100ml of white wine
  • 600ml of chicken stock
  • 40g of Parmesan, grated
  • 75g of butter
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

Foie gras

  • 200g of foie gras
  • 1l milk
  • 500g of salt
  • 200g of duck fat, melted

Apple butter

  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
  • 65g of shallots, finely chopped
  • 80g of cider vinegar
  • 125g of cider
  • 125g of butter

Red onion slices

  • 50g of red onion, sliced
  • 20ml of raspberry vinegar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 250ml of water

Spiced coffee powder

  • 10g of coffee beans
  • 5g of black cardamom pods
  • 20g of hazelnuts
  • 1g of chilli, preferably malagueta chilli
  • 10g of pain d'épices

To serve

  • baby red chard

Equipment

  • Water bath
  • Vacuum bags
  • Bar sealer
  • Juicer
  • Mandoline
  • Spice grinder

Method

1
Begin by preparing the foie gras. Place the foie gras in a bowl and pour over the milk. Cover with a cloth and leave to soak at room temperature for 3 hours
2
After this time, drain and pat the foie gras dry with kitchen paper, being sure to remove any traces of blood. Place on a tray and cover completely with the salt. Leave to cure in the fridge for 6 hours
  • 500g of salt
3
After this time, preheat a water bath to 64°C
4
Rinse the salt from the foie gras and pat dry. Wrap in a clean cloth, seal in a vacuum bag and cook in the water bath for 28 minutes
5
Remove from the bag and cloth while still warm then place in a suitable container and cover with the melted duck fat. Allow to cool to room temperature then freeze for 2 hours before serving
  • 200g of duck fat, melted
6
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
7
While freezing, begin the red onion risotto. Place the whole onions, with the skins left on, on a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes
  • 750g of red onion, whole
8
As the onions roast, make the apple butter which will be used to finish the risotto. Place all of the ingredients (except for the butter) in a small pan and cook gently over a low heat until the liquid reduces
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
  • 65g of shallots, finely chopped
  • 80g of cider vinegar
  • 125g of cider
9
Remove from the heat and stir through the butter until completely melted. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and reserve until needed
  • 125g of butter
10
Remove the onions from the oven and once cool enough to handle, peel away the skins and place the flesh in a juicer to extract as much liquid as possible
11
Add 1 tbsp of the plain butter for the risotto and a dash of oil to a large sauté pan. Place over a medium heat then add the the rice and shallots and toast for a few minutes. Season with a little salt then deglaze the pan with the white wine
  • 15g of butter
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 300g of carnaroli risotto rice
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • salt
  • 100ml of white wine
12
Once evaporated, add the stock a little at a time, stirring regularly. This should take about 10 minutes and result in the rice being about half-cooked
  • 600ml of chicken stock
13
Meanwhile, place the water, raspberry vinegar and red onion slices in a small pan with a pinch of salt and blanch for 2–3 minutes to soften. Drain and refresh in iced water to cool
  • 250ml of water
  • 20ml of raspberry vinegar
  • 50g of red onion, sliced
  • 1 pinch of salt
14
When the rice is half-cooked, start adding the reserved red onion juice, stirring and cooking for another 5–10 minutes or until the rice is just al dente. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 2 minutes
15
Meanwhile, add all of the ingredients for the spiced coffee to a spice grinder or food processor and blitz until finely ground
  • 10g of coffee beans
  • 5g of black cardamom pods
  • 20g of hazelnuts
  • 1g of chilli, preferably malagueta chilli
  • 10g of pain d'épices
16
Stir a spoonful of the apple butter through the risotto, then mix in the remaining plain butter and grated Parmesan to create a glossy texture. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed
17
Remove the foie gras from the freezer and shave very thinly using a mandoline or slicer
18
To serve, divide the risotto between serving dishes then top with slices of foie gras and softened red onion. Sprinkle over a little of the spiced coffee mixture then garnish with a few red chard leaves
  • baby red chard
First published in 2016

Combining Indian spices and Japanese techniques with classic Italian cooking has made Francesco Apreda one of Rome's most contemporary chefs.

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