Creamy Spinach Risotto with Parmesan

Preparation of the Spinach Cream

• 1
  Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Blanch the fresh spinach leaves in the boiling water for about 1 minute. Immediately remove the spinach and quench it in a bowl of ice water to preserve its vibrant green color. Squeeze the spinach well and place it in a blender. Add 20 g of the Parmesan, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a splash of the blanching water. Blend everything into a smooth cream and set aside.

Preparation of the Risotto

• 1
  In a deep pan, melt about 40 g of butter and a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Peel the shallots, finely dice them, and sauté them until translucent in the pan. Add the finely chopped garlic and sauté for another minute.
• 2
  Add the Arborio rice and sauté until translucent, stirring constantly. Deglaze with white wine, add fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Let the wine reduce almost completely.
• 3
  Now, gradually add the hot chicken broth ladle by ladle. Always stir first and wait until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice before adding the next ladle. Repeat this process until all the broth is used up and the rice is cooked 'al dente' (firm to the bite).
• 4
  Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the prepared spinach cream, the remaining grated Parmesan, and the remaining diced butter. Mix everything well until a wonderfully creamy consistency is achieved. Serve immediately.