Puglia is world famous for its heritage of art, culture, history, the extraordinary sea, its agricultural products and culinary tradition. Extra virgin olive oil is the symbolic product not only of the region, but of the entire Italian culinary tradition, and the even more famous "orecchiette with turnip tops" bring to mind the tastiest dishes of Apulian cuisine. We propose a revisitation of this dish with the use of rice instead of orecchiette and the Apulian burrata which, with its flavor of sour milk and the heart of cream, blends masterfully with the slightly bitter and spicy flavor of the tops of turnips all seasoned with Leccino monovarietal organic EVO oil from the DE PADOVA company with an extremely elegant result with a balanced taste of flavours.
Rice has an ancient origin and the major crops are mainly in northern Italy. Risotto is often a star dish of many starred chefs and has had many admirers over time, from Giuseppe Verdi to Carlo Goldoni who even mentioned it in "La locandiera", his famous comedy. It was born as a poor dish in the 16th century with various testimonies and vicissitudes and in 1930 the monks of the Certosa di Pavia made the "Carthusian risotto" famous, which involves the use of rice, peas, mushrooms, prawns, frogs and perch, while butter was added later since its use was forbidden to monks.
Risotto alla Milanese was born thanks to the marriage of the daughter of a Belgian, Valerio di Fiandra, a glass artist resident in Milan, who included risotto with the addition of butter in the bride's menu and one of his assistants, a certain Zafferano, added the spice of yellow color that made the fortune of this dish which was appreciated throughout Milan, for its taste and also for its symbolic aspect, because the color of the spice was reminiscent of the yellow of gold to represent wealth and well-being. Subsequently, risotto became increasingly successful in Italy thanks to the chefs Giacomo Bergese and above all Gualtiero Marchesi.
There would be much more to say about risotto because it offers the possibility of numerous interpretations by combining it with ingredients from the land, sea, vegetables or cheeses. However, the decisive element that provides that extra taste with its ability to balance the flavours, both the intense and the more delicate ones, is certainly the extra virgin olive oil.
In our Italian cuisine, EVO oil is always present as a fundamental element, with its great versatility of use, its flavours, more intense or more delicate, a little spicy or lighter, or in fried foods thanks to its firmness. at high temperatures. In addition to giving flavor to our dishes, it is certainly a highly healthy food with its contents of antioxidants, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols and tocopherols which represents a true ally in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
At this point it is necessary to make a distinction between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil (or EVO oil) because there are many qualities that depend on various elements: first of all the variety of olives used, the time of harvesting and milling of the same, the methodology of extraction and conservation of the extracted oil.
Olioevo.eu accompanies you in this choice, the first Italian marketplace where you can find 100% Italian extra virgin olive oils of the highest quality from all Italian regions, presented directly by small and large farmers who produce EVO oil with olives from their olive groves, in other words, "from producer to consumer", with international certificates and awards that guarantee the excellence of the product. The mission of Olioevo.eu is to make available to everyone extra virgin olive oils which are fortunately not present in large-scale distribution, but which come from crops with low environmental and energy impact, with organic methodologies and quality certifications ( BIO, DOP and IGP) as evidence of the passion and love for the land and its products. Therefore, a showcase on the Italian excellence of the sector with highlights also on gastronomy products based on extra virgin olive oil with reasonable and competitive prices that you can receive directly to your home, in every corner of the world. Furthermore, you have the possibility to choose olive oil-based dermocosmetics products and craft gift ideas made with olive wood and ceramic oil cruets handmade by master ceramists which can be furnishing accessories for our table or very original customizable gastronomic favors.
For our innovative recipe of Risotto with Turnip Greens, Burrata Tomatoes with Leccino Monocultivar Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil we chose the Leccino Monocultivar Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the DE PADOVA company of Avetrana in the province of Taranto, which comes from olives grown organically, with natural fertilizers and in the absence of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or chemical substances. The certifications obtained by this excellent oil guarantee the manual harvesting process of the olives and their pressing within 12 hours, the cold pressing preserving the organoleptic properties intact, its light fruity flavor with balanced and delicate bitter and spicy notes, perfect for seasoning and cooking any dish.
Let's get to the recipe and its ingredients (for 4 people):
350 grams of Carnaroli rice
350 grams of turnip greens
15 datterino cherry tomatoes
250 grams of burrata
60 grams of grated Grana Padano
Monocultivar Leccino Organic EVO Oil – De Padova company
1 clove of garlic
1 chilli pepper to taste
5 anchovy fillets
1 glass of dry white wine
Salt
Risotto with turnip greens, with burrata, cherry tomatoes and organic extra virgin olive oil Monocultivar Leccino Azienda De Padova
We wash and clean the turnip greens, depriving them of the central rib. Place the florets and tender leaves to blanch for a few minutes in boiling salted water. Once the indicated time has passed, carefully drain them from the cooking water and immerse them in a bowl with cold water to preserve their color.
Cook the remaining vegetables for about ten minutes in boiling water, then blend them with a few tablespoons of cooking water. Let's save the vegetable cooking water, which will be useful for preparing our risotto.
In a saucepan, pour a drizzle of Leccino Monocultivar Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the De Padova Company, available on OlioEvo.eu. Add the garlic, chilli and anchovies, seasoning them until the anchovies dissolve completely. Add the rice and toast it for 1-2 minutes, then add the white wine.
Continue cooking the risotto by adding the cooking broth and seasoning with salt. At the end of cooking, we incorporate the Grana Padano cheese and half of the available burrata. We serve the risotto garnished with tufts of burrata and decorating it with the florets, leaves and datterino tomatoes previously sautéed in a pan with a drizzle of oil.
Our Risotto with Turnip Greens Burrata Tomatoes with Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Monocultivar Leccino Azienda De Padova is ready to be served.
