Last year, I decided to try and get a bit creative with a notoriously difficult dish, risotto.  Not only was it delicious but it was fun to nail a dish that had been so intimidating.  After hours of scouring the web for a recipe that didn’t have too many accoutrements and seemed doable, I decided to make up my own.  Enter: Champagne Risotto!  I know, right?!  And what’s more, this wasn’t too terribly difficult to make.  As long as you add your liquid in installments, waiting until all liquid has been absorbed before adding more, there’s really not much to it.  I made mine with a “halo” of roasted asparagus, which seemed to compliment the simple flavor of the risotto.  Fur a full menu (ya know, in case risotto and veggies just doesn’t cut it for ya), I’d probably add a filet of salmon or halibut depending on your taste buds to round out the meal.

Champagne Risotto

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of Champagne Finishing Sauce, seperated in half
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 1/2 cups Dry Champagne, at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm up the stock and 1/2 cup of finishing sauce
2. In a large saucepan heat the butter; add the chopped onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, about 2-3 minutes
3. Add the rice and stir thoroughly for about 3 minutes so that the rice is properly coated and toasted
4. Add 1 cup of champagne and stir until completely absorbed
5. Ladle the heated stock mixture over the rice until it is just covered and stir continuously; when the stock is almost completely absorbed add more stock; repeat this step with remaining stock
6. Once all stock is almost completely absorbed, add remaining champagne and finishing sauce; stir continuously for 5-6 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed
7. Remove from heat and serve immediately