Lombardia
A risotto from the lakes of Lombardia — specifically from Lake Como and Lake Iseo — using tinca (tench), a freshwater fish with delicate, slightly earthy flesh. The tench is filleted and sautéed separately in brown butter and sage, then placed over the plated risotto so the fish remains intact. The risotto itself is made with a fish broth from the tench carcass and finished with butter only — no cheese for fish risotto.
Buttery, delicate and slightly earthy from the tench; the lake fish broth gives a clean, mineral freshness to the risotto; brown butter and sage add nuttiness and herbal warmth — a risotto that tastes of mountain lakes
{"Make the broth from the tench carcass, head and fins with onion, celery, bay and white wine — discard the bones after straining","The tench is earthy from its lake-bottom diet; marinate fillets in white wine and lemon for 1 hour to temper the earthiness","Standard risotto technique: soffritto, rice toasted, wine deglazed, broth added ladle by ladle","No Parmigiano in the mantecatura — butter only; cheese overwhelms delicate freshwater fish","Pan-fry the tench fillets in brown butter with sage for 2 minutes per side and place over the plated risotto at service"}
{"A small amount of fennel frond added to the fish broth gives a subtle anise note that complements the tench","Lemon zest grated over the plated risotto just before serving adds brightness that cuts through the buttery richness","The brown butter used to cook the tench is poured over the fish when plating — it flavours both fish and risotto"}
{"Adding Parmigiano — this is a cardinal error with fish risotto; the cheese masks the delicate lake fish flavour","Over-cooking the tench — the fillets must be just-cooked; overcooked tench is dry and its earthiness dominates","Not making fish broth — water cannot replace the tench broth's contribution to the risotto's flavour"}
La Cucina dei Laghi Lombardi — Pesce, Riso e Tradizione