I know, risotto made with kimchi, Gruyère and sushi rice sounds like a crazy combo, but before you write me off as delusional, hear me out. This risotto has a stunning color and pleasant tang not unlike a tomato risotto, but the fermented kimchi adds dozens of layers of complexity which are all unified by the rich texture and nutty flavors of the gruyere.
Kimchi is one of those marvelous foods where time and lacto-fermentation turns ordinary veggies and some salted shrimp into a pickle of immense depth that’s at once briny, savory, sweet, tangy, nutty, pungent and piquant. It’s often called the Korean equivalent of sauerkraut, but it’s so much more than that. A more accurate description might be that kimchi is the Korean equivalent of sauerkraut, dijon mustard, anchovies, balsamic AND an aged cheese, but that still wouldn’t be doing it justice.
We already know that kimchi and rice go together thanks to dishes like kimchi bokkeumbap, and I’ve done kimchi-Italian combos before with my kimchi pork belly pizza and kimchi pasta (which are both pretty delicious). But mincing and caramelized the kimchi before slowly churning it together with rice and vegetable stock, takes this wonder pickle to a whole new level. Tart, salty, sweet, and brimming with umami, the thick creamy nature of risotto helps those tastes coat your tongue, maxing out your taste receptors before slowly tapering off until the next bite.
Okay, perhaps I’ve convinced you of the merits of using kimchi as an ingredient, but you probably still have your doubts about using Japanese rice to make risotto. Since making sushi involves pouring a liquid (seasoned vinegar) over cooked rice, Japanese short grain rice has been bred by generations of rice farmers to be able to absorb water while retaining its texture and shape. Since it’s a short grain (high starch) rice, it’s also capable of becoming just as creamy as Italian varieties of rice, but because of it’s remarkable ability to absorb liquid, it’s much harder to screw up. Arborio for instance is infamous for being finicky, with the difference between crunchy and mushy being a few tablespoons of stock. Even the more resilient Carnaroli, considered “il re dei risi” (the king of rice), will swell up and turn into a gummy paste if you wait too long to eat it after it’s done. Japanese rice on the other hand, will still continue getting softer as you cook it and add more liquid, but you would really have to overshoot your mark before the rice starts to lose its shape. I’ve also found that letting it sit doesn’t ruin its texture. In fact it’s not unpleasant to eat at room temperature (though it obviously tastes better when freshly made)
While this risotto can certainly stand on its own, it’s really incredible topped with a gochujang braised pork like the one below. Stay tuned for the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup kimchi juice (squeezed from kimchi)
- 100 grams kimchi (minced)
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 7 grams garlic (minced)
- 1 cup Japanese short-grain rice
- 15 grams Gruyère cheese (grated with a microplane)
Steps
- Squeeze the juice out of the kimchi using your hands to make 1/2 cup of juice and then weigh out 100 grams of squeezed kimchi. Mince the kimchi.
- Pour the vegetable stock into a pot and bring to a simmer over high heat. Turn down to low to keep warm.
- In another pot, add the lard and garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add the minced kimchi and continue sauteing until the kimchi is translucent.
- Add the rice and stir until the rice has evenly absorbed all the oil.
- Add the kimchi juice along with a ladleful of hot vegetable stock and stir the rice until most of the water has been absorbed.
- Continue adding vegetable stock a ladleful at a time and stirring until the rice is your desired consistency. You may not need all the stock.
When the rice is done, add the grated Gruyère and stir into the risotto.
- Serve immediately.
Are there any alternatives to Kimchi? Where I am, the storekeeper won’t understand what I am saying if I ask for Kimchi.
Hi MG_Siegler, I’m not sure where you live, but you if you can find the ingredients to make kimchi (you can get many of them online), here’s a recipe to make your own: http://norecipes.com/recipe/kimchi/ Otherwise, you can make risotto with a lot of things, like mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese etc.
I have a pressure cooker risotto recipe. Do you think this kimchi risotto could work in the pressure cooker?
Hi Laura, I’ve never done a risotto in a pressure cooker before, so I honestly have no idea. If you want to give it a try you could, but sautéing the garlic and kimchi until caramelized is important as it develops flavor compounds you wouldn’t get if you just threw all the ingredient in the pressure cooker and closed the lid.
For starters, I make my own kimchi. Easy, fun and delightfully good. Just takes a couple special ingredients and a one-gallon jug, so MG_Siegler, go for it yourself!v That fresh kimchi (well, one week of fermenting) made a difference in this dish. A friend made this using store bought kimchi and I made it with mine. We both liked mine better. We also both used chicken stock rather than vegetable stock and agreed that it tasted more rounded. Other than that, this is a quick and easy way to make a different and tasty risotto.
I’ll let you know how it works out when I try it. I made a wonderful asparagus and green pea risotto last night in the pressure cooker, and I think this could work too.
This looks amazing! And I imagine I could make it with coconut oil or vegetable shortening (with my homemade kimchi, of course) to keep it vegetarian. Can’t wait to try it!
This looks amazing! And I imagine I could make it with coconut oil or vegetable shortening (with my homemade kimchi
Thanks Joshua, yep, it should work great with coconut oil.
this is the best kimchi fried rice ever <3
Made this recipe a while ago. Wasn’t sure about the kimchi risotto combo, but the fussiest eater of the group loved it ( along with everyone else). Excellent together with gochujang braised short ribs!!
Hi Jack, I’m so glad to hear you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to drop by and let me know!
I’m so excited to try this, but my partner is vegetarian and I don’t think he can eat lard. Is there a vegetarian alternative to the lard that you recommend?
Hi Christina, you can substitute vegetable oil for the lard. Also, make sure your kimchi is vegetarian as most kimchi includes some shrimp or fish extract.
Thanks so much, Marc! And yes, good reminder about the kimchi too.