Wisconsin Cheese Risotto with Peas and Nueske's Bacon

Melissa visited an old friend recently and the two enjoyed some good wine and cheese. When she came home, she told me one of the cheeses was really great and nutty and reminded her of Parmesan, one of our favorite snacks.

We eventually found out the cheese was from Wisconsin, crafted by Sartori, located in Plymouth.

Well, why not use it in a good risotto, we thought? An excellent idea, but we struggled a bit to come up with ingredients that could be used in addition to the cheese, but that would not overpower it.

Yeah, so we decided to use Nueske's applewood-smoked bacon, so what? We used three slices and diced it. It was good, but we think two slices would be just right. Otherwise, this was a great risotto with nutty cheese, fruitiness from the wine and smokiness from the bacon.

Sartori Reserve Risotto with Peas and Nueske's Bacon

serves 4
1 shallot, finely minced
2 strips of Nueske's bacon, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
2/3 cups Sartori Reserve
3/4 cups frozen peas
1/2 tablespoon chives
nutmeg to taste
lemon juice to taste

1. Finely dice shallot and bacon and saute in butter. Meanwhile, heat chicken broth in a sauce pan.

2. Add rice to bacon and shallots; stir. Then add wine and stir continuously until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed. After that, add 1/2 cup of chicken broth at a time, repeating stirring and waiting until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed.

3. Add peas to heat through. Add nutmeg and lemon juice to taste. Serve and top with chives and more cheese.