Vanilla Risotto With Caramelized Pears

[pixelchef]

Vanilla Risotto With Caramelized Pears

Serves 4 as Dessert.

This is an insanely tasty, yet insanely simple dessert. It's rustic, yet refined all at once. I promise it'll please.

• 3-1/2 c milk
  
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  
• 40 g butter
  
• 1 c arborio rice
  
• 1/4 c sugar
  
• 1/2 c brown sugar
  
• 40 g butter, extra
  
• 1/4 c water
  
• 4 small pears such as corella, halved
  

Place the milk and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until hot but not boiling.

Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat and add the rice. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the rice is translucent. Add the hot milk mixture to the rice 1 cup at a time, stirring between additions until each cup of liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente.

Stir through the sugar.

While the risotto is cooking, cook the pears. Place the brown sugar, extra butter and water in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pear halves and cook, cut-side down, for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the pears and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.

To serve, spoon the risotto into bowls and top with the pears and some syrup.

Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Rice, Italian

( RG389 )