I have found versions of this recipe in the cuisines of both Trentino and Fruili-Venezia Giulia, two regions we explore on our Italiaoutdoors private Italy tours. Apple orchards wind their way across Italy’s northeast area, from Val Sugana, continuing along the Adige Valley and then straight to the epicenter of apple cultivation, the Val di Non and Val di Sole in Trentino. More than four million apples of all varieties and sizes are produced each year in these valleys and today, more than ever, they are used satisfy a growing overseas market.

Italy is the world’s sixth largest producer, and Europe’s second, with 2.2 million tons of apples. Golden Delicious is the second most widely cultivated apple variety globally and the first in Trentino where around ten thousand hectares are dedicated to production.Trentino is particularly well-suited to the growing of high-quality fruit, and production totals for 2009 were around 450 thousand tons, accounting for 21 per cent of the national market. One in five apples eaten in Italy comes from Trentino, and together with Alto Adige, it provides over 60% of apple production in Italy.

Here’s my adaptation of a couple of Italian Apple Risotto recipes. Fred Plotkin has a recipe in his cookbook on the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, “La Terra Fortunata”. He suggests using apple juice and water as the cooking liquid, which immediately struck me as too sweet. A similar recipe I found from Trentino uses meat stock for the cooking liquid. I used, and liked, a combination of fresh apple cider – also from North Star Orchards – with chicken stock. Using pure cider, or apple juice, would definitely be too sweet for this savory dish.

Plotkin recommends NOT using any spices such as cinnamon, while the recipe from Trentino called for them. I think with the meat stock used in the latter version, it might work. Plotkin suggests flavoring with fresh mint, which I wasn’t crazy about, and couldn’t find this time of year anyway. I used walnuts instead, which seemed to me a better fit with the regional cuisine, walnuts being another fall product of Northeastern Italy.

I served this with some roasted pork and roast squash – a great fall dinner.

Apple Risotto

Serves 4-6

3 apples, peeled, cored and diced. Braeburn, Gala, MacIntosh
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch dried thyme, or sprig of fresh thyme
1 cup apple cider
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups risotto rice (arborio, canaroli, vialone nano)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated aged Montasio or Grana cheese
Chopped toasted walnuts

Toss the diced apples with the lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.

In a medium saucepan, combine the apple cider with the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the apples and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the fruit is soft and begins to carmelize. Add the rice, and sauté about 2-3 minutes. The rice should become slightly opaque.

Add the wine to the sauté pan with the rice. Cook, stirring, until the wine has evaporated. Add approximately 1/2 cup of the cider/stock, and stir again until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue, adding the liquid one ladle at a time, until the rice is creamy, but still firm, “al dente”. This will take 15-20 minutes. Do not just cook until the stock is gone, the risotto may well be done before you have finished using all of the stock. After the first 10 minutes of cooking, add the remaining apple pieces.

When ready to serve, stir in the cheese until it has melted and combined with the rice. Serve immediately, garnished with the toasted walnuts.