Bergamot has a similar shape to an orange, but its skin is bright yellow and its scent much more intense. In Calabria – bergamot’s natural habitat – it’s called ‘oro verde,’ meaning ‘green gold’ in English. So-called for its abundance of nutritional benefits, bergamot features a high level of flavonoids, which helps to regulate cholesterol and fight the development of tumors in the body.
The best time to taste bergamot is from October until mid-April, so we decided to make a delicious risotto with it as the main star.
Our recipe for risotto with bergamot
To make bergamot risotto, you’ll need the bergamot peel. For this risotto, we used an untreated and recently harvested bergamot, so the peel is still edible and rich in beneficial properties.
Ingredients:
1 lb 7 oz vegetable broth, 9 oz Arborio rice (for risotto), 2 oz castelmagno cheese (or Parmigiano), 1 untreated bergamot, Butter, Onion, Pepper, Salt
Method:
Chop ¼ onion and fry it in a pan with a knob of butter. Once the onion has taken on a transparent color, add the rice and let it toast for a couple of minutes. Cover with simmering vegetable broth and add a pinch of salt. Stir continuously until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Continue adding a ladleful of broth at a time, adding more broth as the rice absorbs it (still stirring continuously). This should take about 18 minutes total. Turn off the heat and stir in the castelmagno cheese with the finely grated bergamot peel.