Come late winter when I really start to miss the bright flavors of summer, meyer lemon gives me the citrus spark I need to keep me going. This lemon dill risotto is a great combination of the sweet and sour bite of meyer lemon and the herby freshness of dill.
Don’t be scared to use the entire meyer lemon, rind and all. When sautéed with your other aromatics, it calms the bitterness and brings out a lovely citrus aroma that energizes the dish.
Pair this with some pesto salmon and a green salad for a lovely late winter or early spring dinner.
Lemon Dill Risotto
An herby twist on a classic risotto using meyer lemon to add a sweet and sour taste.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, (minced finely)
- 2 cloves garlic, (crushed and minced)
- 1 meyer lemon, (minced rind and all, juices reserved)
- 1/2 cup dill, (chopped)
- 1/2 cup chives, (chopped)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups short grain rice, (such as sweet rice, arborio, or carnaroli)
- 3-4 cups water or broth, (boiling)
- 4 tbsp butter, (divided)
- salt and pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt half of the butter at a medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a pinch of salt and slowly sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the white wine, minced meyer lemon, and garlic to the saucepan and cook until the wine has reduced to syrupy consistency, about 3-4 minutes.
- Then, add the rice and the remaining butter and stir to coat the rice evenly in the butter-wine sauce.
- Once the pan starts to dry out, slowly start adding the boiling water or broth, about a 1/2 cup at a time, and stir frequently. This process should take about 15-20 minutes to use up the whole 3-4 cups of water. After about 10 minutes start checking rice, it should be soft but still slightly chewy like pasta.
- Lastly, add the chopped herbs and some salt and pepper to taste. Serve the risotto immediately with some additional herbs, butter, and lemon for topping.
Notes
if meyer lemons are not available using 1 lemon, zested and juiced, as a substitute would work just as well. Or, if you can find preserved lemon, mince about 1/4 to 1/2 of a lemon instead, be sure to adjust for saltiness because preserved lemon can be very salty.
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