Ask Chef Peñalosa Nájera of Bishop’s Lodge about the ingredients for his signature green risotto and the answer is simple: Hatch green chile, poblano, “perfect egg,” and mushrooms. But probe deeper and you’ll discover a huge amount of technique behind this Southwestern riff on a classic Italian risotto. Chef Nájera is from Mexico City and has worked in Colombia, Spain, and England and this immersion in other cultures and cuisines shows in his food. “I try to bring my own experience of traveling to this dish,” he says, and it shows.
Green Chili Risotto Recipe
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE GREEN CHILE PURÉE:
½ lb fresh green chile
1 small fresh poblano chile
1 cup whipping cream
2 ½ oz Parmesan cheese, grated
FOR THE PERFECT EGG:
4 eggs
FOR THE RISOTTO:
4 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 shallot, diced
2 ½ cups arborio rice
¾ cup white wine
8 ½ cups vegetable stock
FOR THE GARNISH:
Burnt leek, optional*
Microgreens
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the green chile purée, roast the green and poblano chiles, remove the skin and seeds, and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Heat the whipping cream and Parmesan, and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and purée the chiles and cream mixture in a blender or with a stick blender.
- To make the perfect eggs, set a thermal immersion circulator at 144 degrees and cook the eggs for 1 hour. Bring down the temperature to 126 degrees to keep the eggs warm until ready to serve. Or you can poach the eggs instead.
- To make the risotto, heat a saucepan, add the oil, and gently cook the garlic and shallot. Add the rice and cook for several minutes until the rice is translucent. Add the wine, let the alcohol evaporate, lower the temperature, and add the vegetable broth a bit at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Cook until the rice is al dente.
- To plate, stir in the green chile purée. Divide the risotto between 4 plates or bowls, and garnish with eggs, microgreens, and burnt leek.
*Place a leek in the oven on high heat until it’s completely black. Pulverize it in a blender.
Recipe by Chef Peñalosa Nájera of Bishop’s Lodge / Story and Styling by Julia Platt Leonard / Support from Alex Hanna / Photography by Kate Russell
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