Deborah's Risotto

9 cups rich chicken stock

6 tablespoons butter

1 ½ medium onion, finely chopped

3 cups Arborio rice

¾ cup dry white wine

salt to taste

4 to 5 eggs, lightly beaten

9 oz Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put the stock in a pot on the stove to warm.

Heat half the butter in a heavy saucepan and sauté the onion until it is translucent.  Add the rice and coat well with butter.  Stir for a few seconds, then add the wine.

When the wine evaporates, start adding stock to the rice, ½ cup at a time.  Stir it well after each addition of stock and once or twice as it is being absorbed.  You want this to be just barely simmering, not boiling.  Repeat until all the stock has been absorbed and the mixture is al dente and creamy.

Add the rest of the butter and let the rice rest while you lightly grease a 1 ½ quart casserole or flat pan.  Add the eggs to the rice and mix well, leaving no lumps.  Add salt to taste (I did not add any salt).

Pour half of the rice mixture into the casserole and cover it with the grated cheese.  Top with remaining rice.  Smooth this over and bake for 40 minutes or until top begins to turn golden.

If you would like to serve this unmolded instead of spooned out, let it cool for about 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a serving plate.

Serves 8

NOTE:  I made this for Valentine’s Dinner 2009 and made ½ the recipe – it still makes a lot!  I think a full recipe would be more like 12 to 16 servings