Cooking with Ashley Christensen

I love recipes that turn my historical thought process upside down. I grew up in kitchens thinking risotto was to be made always in one exacting way... chubby rice grains toasted in oil with finely minced onions and a splash of white wine, and then slowly hydrated until plump and starchy. My great pal Sarah Grueneberg (after one of her many trips to Italy) completely changed my thinking on this. She was cooking rice with a quintessential Italian grandmother, who begged the question “why toast and seal with heat the outside of a grain that you want to give its starch to the dish”. And from there, I’ve never looked at risotto the same, or more clearly and simply.

This approach is so damn simple, and it only takes about 15 minutes. Oh, and then you gild the lily with such pristine, next-level ingredients from Regalis.

1. Bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice, and reduce to a low boil. Stir every few minutes with a wooden spoon. Cook until we reach a creamy porridge texture (about 15 minutes). Cut the heat off, and stir in butter, parm, zest of half a lemon, and juice of half a lemon.

2. Divide rice into 4 bowls. Top each bowl of rice with 2 oz of creme fraiche, followed by 1 oz Regalis Signature Platinum Osetra (so badass!), and 4-6 Maine Bafun Uni tongues. Garnish each bowl with a pinch of minced chives.

3. Enjoy with a cold beer, good sake, ice-cold vodka, or some sick grower champagne. Consider walking 2 of the bowls over to a neighbor who you wish you could hang out with in this trying time. This dish is sure to convey the hug that we’re not allowed to share right now.