RISOTTO POLO

Named for the ultimate wanderlust, Marco Polo, this dish combines ingredients from the span of his travels between Venice and Beijing.

INGREDIENTS

 ¾ cup Original Mississippi Middlins Brown Rice Grits or Missimati Brown Rice Grits

2 ¼ cup chicken stock

¼ cup pinot grigio

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ginger, fresh minced

1 shallot, minced

1 celery rib, finely chopped

Slight pinch of saffron threads

1 tbsp honey

Handful of fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced in half.

½ tsp thyme, ground

¼ cup fresh cream

¼ cup parmesan, fresh grated

Fresh ground pepper to taste, for garnish

METHOD

Heat oil in large sauté pan, then quickly heat ginger, shallots, and celery for 1 minute. Add rice grits, swirling or stirring until all grains coated in oil and toasted scent emanates from pan.
Carefully add wine (as pan is hot), stirring in. Quickly add 2 cups chicken stock and bring to simmer.
Add saffron, thyme, and honey, blending well while continuing to heat to simmer. Stir frequently for 15 minutes, in which time most liquid will soak up as grains enlarge. If necessary, add remaining ¼ cup of stock. In 15-18 minutes, kernels should be cooked to perfect al dente, with al little firmness in center. Stir in cherry tomatoes, and heat another minute to release some tomato juice.
Stir in cream, then parmesan cheese. Serve immediately as a main or side dish, garnishing with fresh black pepper as plated