1 T butter + 1 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion
1 tiny clove of garlic
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
1 small glass of dry white wine
1 quart of chicken broth
1 pinch of saffron
½ cup pistachio nuts
¼ cup olive oil
2 T ground pistachio nuts for garnish
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a pot. Ladle out about ¼ cup of broth, and place it in a bowl. Add the saffron, and let it infuse while you cook the rest of the risotto. You do this so that the saffron's flavor does not become too bitter.
Lower the heat and keep the broth at a simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium- low heat.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the butter until it becomes translucent.
Next, add in the rice, and stir it into the onion well with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.
Pour in the wine and keep stirring until it has been absorbed by the rice.
Now you will begin ladling in the simmering broth, one ladle at a time. You cannot leave the kitchen or get distracted, because the risotto needs you.
Ladle in the broth, and stir the risotto with a spoon until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
When you think the risotto is finished, pour in the saffron infused broth, and stir.
Serve immediately with the pistachio oil that follows.
Toast the pistachios in a dry pan and then turn them out on a plate to cool.
Grind them up in a mini blender, and pour in the olive oil as they are grinding.
Transfer everything to a pan over a low flame and stir for a few minutes to let the oil infuse. You can let this infuse all day if you wish, to give the oil a very rich flavor.
Strain the oil through a sieve, discarding the ground nuts afterwards.
Serve the risotto with drizzles of pistachio oil and some (dry) crumbled nuts on top.
