Creamy Risotto with Turkey Roulade, Spinach and Gran Moravia Cheese
·Prepare the meat
Using a sharp knife, slice the turkey breast horizontally to open it up into one thin, wide piece. You can also gently flatten it a bit more with a meat mallet. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper, then spread crushed garlic over the top.
Roll up the roulade
Over the garlic, layer slices of provolone dolce cheese, leaving a border around the edge of the meat. Top the cheese with spinach leaves. Roll the roulade up tightly and tie it securely with kitchen string.
Sear and braise
Sear the roulade on all sides in a pan with a little oil. If your pan is on the small side, feel free to cut the roulade in half. Once it's browned all over, add about a cup of water, cover the pan with a lid, and braise for 10–15 minutes.
Save the pan juices
Remove the roulade from the pan. You can spoon the pan juices over the sliced roulade when serving, or stir them into the risotto instead.
Prepare the shallot
Finely chop the shallot, keeping the pieces as even as possible. This ensures it browns evenly, so you won't end up with some pieces burnt while others are still opaque and undercooked.
Heat the pot
Heat a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot over the highest setting. Only then pour in the olive oil (butter works too). Add the shallot right away. You can turn the heat down slightly, but not too much. Cook the shallot until translucent.
Keep stirring
Turn the heat back up to high and add the dry rice. Stir constantly, without stopping even for a moment. The rice will change color as it toasts, which takes about two to three minutes. You really must keep stirring throughout so the rice and shallot don't scorch.
Add the wine
Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped garlic. With the heat still on high, pour the wine over the toasted rice. Keep stirring until all the wine has evaporated and there's no liquid left in the pot.
Add the stock
Now it's time for the hot stock. Keep it simmering in a pot on the neighboring burner and start ladling it into the rice.
Just below the surface
The rice should always sit just below the surface of the stock — the grains shouldn't be peeking out, but there shouldn't be too much liquid pooling on top either. Add one ladleful at a time, stir, and let the rice absorb the liquid fully before adding the next ladleful.
Season to taste
Keep tasting as you go. If the dish needs more salt, add it as early as possible so it soaks into the rice grains themselves, not just the sauce. Continue stirring for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Chop the spinach
Shortly before the risotto is done, add the spinach to the rice. Finely chop the fresh leaves with a knife.
For that creamy finish
Take the finished risotto off the heat. Have some well-chilled butter, cut into a few pieces, and grated Gran Moravia cheese ready. Add both to the pot and stir vigorously until the butter and cheese have fully melted in. This will thicken the risotto and round out its flavor.
Serving
Serve immediately on warmed plates. Give the bottom of each plate a few firm taps with your palm — a properly made risotto will spread out beautifully across the plate. Top with slices of the turkey roulade.
