Caramelized Onion Risotto

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 6 tablespoons butter (3 to start and 3 to finish)
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
• 1 cup red or white pearl onions peeled
• 2 leeks, whites cut into rings
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley

Procedure

Pearl Onions and Leeks:

• Peel pearl onions.
• Cut green off of leeks and cut leeks in half. Clean the leeks by soaking them in a bowl of cold water. Then lift the leeks out of the water so that the dirt remains at the bottom of the bowl.
• Toss onions and leeks in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in an oven at 450 degrees.

Risotto:

• Bring Chicken stock to a boil. Do not substitute vegetable stock. It must be hot in order to cook the rice properly.
• Heat the butter in a heavy pot over moderately low heat. Melt butter and add the chopped onion and the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. You want the rice to have clear edges.
• Add wine and reduce.
• Next, add hot stock to cover stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed.
• Continue to add chicken stock to cover, stirring regularly and allowing the stock to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is al dente (about 15 minutes).
• Once the rice is cooked through but still firm. Add the roasted onions and leeks.
• At the end stir in the Grana Padano and the  butter
• Add salt and pepper to taste and chopped parsley.
• Serve with more shaved Grana Padano on top.
• Red wine or balsamic reduction is a nice acidic counterpart to line the bowl with if you have it