Christian and Manuel Costardi’s signature version is a risotto with creamy grana padano and reduced beer and coffee. It’s supposed to taste like a cappuccino or tiramisu, but risotto is all in one. The menu offers a selection of 20 risottos, according to the Michelin Guide, and the chefs’ unique dishes have earned them a Michelin star.
Inspired by Andy Warhol’s “Campbell Soup Cans”, the Costaardi brothers playfully serve risotto in individual metal cans.
Tucci says there are two important steps to remember when making risotto:
“First, before adding any liquid, be sure to heat the rice well,” he wrote in his cookbook. “This will seal the rice kernels and help prevent it from overcooking. Second, test the desired texture of the rice after it’s been cooked for 12 to 15 minutes. Risotto can be served in good condition, with a slight crispness to the bite, or with a softer consistency – the choice is yours… Just don’t overcook the risotto or it will turn into a paste.”
Risotto with grana padano cream and reduced beer and coffee
(Risotto con Crema di Grana Padano, Riduzione di Birra e Caffè)
Reuse four clean soup cans to serve, or use plates if you prefer. If you want to make your own vegetable broth, go for it. Costaris suggests incorporating celery, carrots, and lightly charred onions into the broth.
At Christian and Manuel, Costardis uses Cervia sea salt, from the Adriatic coast, and Sarawak black peppercorns, which you can find in specialty stores or online if you want to try.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 cups | 1 liter lager beer
3.5 oz + oz | 100g + 15g Grana Padano (similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese), 27 months, freshly grated
1 cup | ¼ liter whipping cream
1 cup | 300 gm Carnaroli rice
sea salt (medium coarse)
Freshly ground black pepper
About 12 1/2 cups | 3 liters of store-bought vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1/3 cup | 25g cold unsalted butter
Ground coffee, preferably Arabica
equipment
Jam funnel (if working in cans)
directions
1. First, start preparing the beer reduction. Put the beer in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let the beer drop until the texture is like soft caramel, about 45 minutes. As the beer reduces, the alcohol evaporates, and the remaining liquid has a flavor concentration in which the spicy flavors are enhanced. Remove from heat and allow to cool (it is best to do this the day before; once cooled, refrigerate overnight in an airtight container).
2. Preparation of Grana Adano cream. Using a cheese grater or fine grater, grate 3.5 ounces (100 grams) Grana Padano. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat to 70°C and add grana padano. Beat cream with a paddle attachment until mixture is smooth, keeping temperature at 100 F (40 C). At high temperatures, there is a risk of not obtaining a homogeneous cream. If the cream is not soft, pass it through a sieve and simmer at 100 F (40 C).
3. Keep making the risotto. In risotto saucepan, toast rice to dry over medium heat, shake pot and stir rice until boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the rice burn. Add a pinch of salt and a grate of pepper. Continue cooking over high heat adding the vegetable broth a little at a time, stirring constantly after each addition and allowing the rice to absorb. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is cooked through with a light bite in center of the grain, 15 to 20 minutes. The risotto should look creamy. Check the taste and then remove it from the fire. Add the cold butter and the remaining ounces (15 grams) of grana adano to the saucepan and shake using a wave-like motion (see video) to incorporate into the rice.
4. If you serve in cans: Put a sprinkle of ground coffee and a few drops of reduced beer at the bottom of the can. With the help of a jam funnel, add rice, Grana Padano cream, coffee beans and reduce beer.
5. If you are using panels: Spread the risotto on each plate, add the Grana Padano cream, sprinkle with ground coffee and finish with a reduced beer.
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