sage derby orzotto

isn’t that cheese beautiful? i love the mottled green coloring. i think it looks like marbled granite. the cheese, sage derby, is semi-hard and has a mild sage flavor. it adds creaminess and depth to the dish.

i created this at my friend margot’s house. we were too lazy to go out and buy proper ingredients, so we tried substituting orzo for the arborio rice, and discovered that orzo works just as well, if not better! margot fittingly labeled the dish “orzotto.”

i usually use white wine to deglaze the saucepan after toasting the rice in [regular] risotto, but this time i used red, and it worked really well. it gives the dish a heartier feel, and pairs nicely with the rosemary.

ingredients

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped (plus more to garnish)
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 pound sage derby cheese, cut into chunks

in a medium saucepan, warm the chicken broth over low heat. keep it on the heat but don’t let it get over a simmer. in a medium saucepan on a different burner, heat the olive oil over medium heat. add the shallow and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. season with salt and pepper, and add in the rosemary. dump in all of the orzo and toast for a minute, or until it smells nutty. slowly pour in the wine, stirring as you pour. continue to stir until all of the wine has been absorbed by the orzo. add a ladle of warm chicken broth to the orzo mixture, and stir until absorbed. continue this process, stirring constantly and adding ladles of chicken broth ever 4 to 5 minutes. this will take around 20 minutes. once all the broth is gone, the orzo should be pillowy and not at all al dente. it should lazily slop of the spoon when provoked. stir in the parmesan, butter, and sage derby until melted. serve in shallow white bowls, garnished with rosemary sprigs and shavings of sage derby. eat immediately!