Forbidden Rice Risotto

I picked up a box of "Forbidden Rice" (or Chinese black rice) at the supermarket because it was on sale and had been wanting to try it for awhile. There weren't much in the way of instructions on it so I couldn't really buy anything for preparing it other than what should go with it. So I did a search when I got home and decided to make a risotto. This recipes is a mix of a few recipes I found and my own tweeks I made for my own tastes and what we had laying around. This takes longer to cook than an normal risotto because forbidden rice is whole grain so it doesn't get tender as quickly, but it has a wonderful dark purple colour and an lovely nutty taste and smell that make the extra time worth it. I made this with shrimp and zucchini in Gorgonzola sauce, which was an amazing combo. But this interesting mix of Italian and Chinese cuisine would go well with any seafood dish, especially one that has a cream or cheese sauce.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1  shallot, finely chopped
• 420  g  forbidden rice (Chinese black rice)
• 4  tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 1⁄4 liters  hot chicken stock (must be hot at least in the beginning to absorb well)
• 50  g parmesan cheese, fresh grated
•  salt
•  ground black pepper

Directions

1. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and gently fry for 3-4 minutes until clear.
2. Stir in the rice and cook for another minute.
3. Add the sherry and deglaze the pan, stirring constantly, about a minute.
4. When the sherry has reduced, add the hot chicken stock only enough to just cover the rice. Keep stirring, adding more stock like before when most of the liquid is gone.
5. Continue to stir and add stock until the rice is tender but still with some bite. This took me about 35 minutes.
6. Add the remaining butter and the parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.