Sweet Coconut Risotto
Right now you’re probably looking at the title of this recipe and thinking “Are you kidding me? Dessert risotto? There’s just no way!” And I thought there was no way too, until I tried doing it myself and found out that it’s amazing! It’s kind of a cross between risotto and rice pudding that tastes incredible and makes you feel like a pro chef.
Making risotto really isn’t as hard as you might think, there are just a few tricks and steps you need to keep in mind such as toasting the rice a bit before adding liquid, not adding too much liquid at once, keep constantly stirring the risotto while maintaining an even heat, and make sure to taste a bit of the rice as it’s cooking to see how it’s coming along.
The idea behind this dessert risotto is this; I am going to do a classic risotto style but use a sweetened coconut milk mixture as my liquid that I’ll lace with a hint of warming spice, then finish the risotto with some mascarpone for extra richness and creaminess, then top with toasted coconut for texture, mango for freshness, and a bit of lime zest for a citrusy kick.
I think this dessert risotto might change the way you think of risotto forever.
Serves 6
2 cans (15 oz each) full fat coconut milk
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
4 whole cloves
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups arborio rice
A pinch of salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup coconut rum (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
Grated zest of 2 limes
Edit: When I first tested this recipe, I did not add water to the cooking liquid and as a result the rice didn’t get fully cooked, still had a bit of a chew to it, so I tried adding water and that let the rice cook perfectly!
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, milk, water, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves. Bring that to a simmer and keep it warm over low heat. Keep an eye on the mixture, as it can boil over.
In a wide frying pan or saucier, wider is better, heat the coconut oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the rice and a pinch of salt, then cook for about a minute or two, until the rice is lightly toasted.
Add a ladleful of the hot coconut milk mixture, or enough to cover the rice, and begin stirring the rice and liquid together, maintaining a simmer, until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid, it’ll take about 10 minutes.
Once the pan is almost dry and you can see the rice poke above the liquid, add another ladleful of the coconut mixture and continue this process, adding liquid and also tasting the rice as you go to check for doneness.
If you find that the risotto is getting thick but the rice isn’t fully cooked yet, just cover the rice with hot water and keep stirring and cooking from there.
Once the rice is tender but still holds it’s shape, remove the pan from the heat, cover with either a sheet of foil or a lid, if that pan has one that fits tightly, and let the rice rest for about 5 minutes to relax the starch.
Remove the cover, then stir in the butter, mascarpone, and coconut rum (if using) until it becomes smooth and creamy. If your risotto is looking a bit too thick, a splash more of the coconut milk mixture will help you out, but be careful as you don’t want your risotto too loose.
To plate, scoop a mound of the rice onto a shallow, rimmed plate, then shake the plate and smack the bottom so the risotto falls and covers the whole bottom of the plate. Finish with the toasted coconut, mango, and lime zest.
