In a frying pan add Bacon and cook over medium heat until fully cooked 10-15 minutes
Place cooked Bacon on paper towels to absorb the grease, let cool and chop into pieces
Preheat 2 Tbs EVOO in a medium saucepan over medium heat
When oil is shimmering add Shallot and sauté 1 minute
Add Rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until toasted
Add Holland House White Cooking Wine and cook until Wine is reduced or evaporated
Add in 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock and stir (it’s important to keep stirring – see notes below)
When Vegetable Stock starts to get evaporated (after about 5 minutes), add another 1/2 cup of Vegetable Stock
Add in Salt, Pepper and stir
Add 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock approximately every 5 minutes, stirring constantly (total cook time for the risotto is about 20 minutes)
During the last 5 minutes of cooking add in the Bacon, Apple, and Gorgonzola
Taste the rice and when you are 1 minute before reaching the right bite “al dente” (meaning rice should be tender but still firm to the bite), add Pecorino Romano and Butter
Remove from heat and stir until creamy in texture
Serve immediately
Enjoy!
Notes:
Make sure your Vegetable Stock stays hot. It’s important to add a little bit of the hot Vegetable Stock at a time so the rice is cooked slowly and the stock gets absorbed. This method releases the rice’s starches, producing a velvety, creamy dish.
It’s very important to keep stirring the Risotto as it’s cooking, especially as the stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching.
If you run out of Vegetable Stock and you find this is too dry at the end, you can add in a little hot water as a substitute.