Oat Risotto with Peas and Pecorino

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Chef Graham Elliot cooks steel-cut oats risotto-style to make a savory porridge. For a quicker version, Grace Parisi simmers steel-cut oats risotto-style in chicken stock until they're tender, then stirs in nutty pecorino cheese and sweet baby peas. Slideshow:  More Risotto Recipes 

Oat Risotto with Peas and Pecorino
Photo: © Leela Cyd
Total Time:
35 mins
Yield:
6
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 leek, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

  • 1 cup steel-cut oats, such as McCann's

  • 5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

  • Salt

  • freshly ground white pepper

  • 1 cup frozen baby peas (5 ounces), thawed

  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup pecorino shavings

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the leek and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oats and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the stock and simmer over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until nearly absorbed. Continue cooking the oats, adding 1 cup of stock at a time and cooking until the liquid is nearly absorbed between additions. The risotto is done when the oats are chewy-tender and suspended in a thick sauce, about 25 minutes total. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir in the peas, scallion and 3/4 cup of the cheese and cook until the peas are heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer the risotto to bowls, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

Suggested Pairing

Earthy, full-bodied, Rhône white, such as a Crozes-Hermitage Blanc.

Originally appeared: July 2008

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