Antonia Klugmann uses the punchy herb sage as the sole flavour in her classic risotto recipe, enriching the dish with a sage-infused butter, a sage stock, and a vibrant dried sage powder. Swap the Parmesan for a vegetable rennet cheese to make this dish the perfect vegetarian starter.
Begin with the sage butter and powder, which both need to be made at least 8 hours ahead. Preheat a water bath to 63°C
2
Place the sage and butter in a vacuum bag and seal. Cook in the water bath for 8 hours
100g of sage
100g of butter
3
For the powder, spread the sage out on a tray and place in a dehydrator set to 60°C. Leave to dry out for 8 hours
100g of sage
4
After this time, remove the sage butter from the bag and pass through a fine sieve to leave a smooth butter. Allow to cool
5
Place the dehydrated sage leaves in a food processor or blender and blitz briefly to form a powder. Set aside until serving
6
Before making the risott, prepare the sage stock. Place the water in a pan and bring up to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, add the sage leaves and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the water to cool, then strain through a sieve to obtain a clear, infused broth
1l water
100g of sage
7
Add a dash of olive oil to a large frying pan and stir in the rice. Allow to toast for a few minutes, seasoning with a little salt
1 dash of olive oil
300g of carnaroli risotto rice
salt
8
Deglaze the pan with the wine, then stir in the rice flour and reserved sage broth. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the liquid has mostly evaporated
100ml of white wine
40g of rice flour
9
Stir through the sage butter and grated Parmesan to create a creamy, silky texture. Divide the risotto between bowls and sprinkle over a little of the sage powder to serve
Despite starting later in life than most chefs, Antonia Klugmann quickly made a name for herself by cooking unique, multicultural dishes on the Italian-Slovenian border.
