Oats don’t always have to be sweet; they’re great in savory dishes as well. Risotto, a comforting Italian dish usually made with Arborio rice, can also be made with steel-cut oats for a homey and heart-healthy version. Try it for dinner with grilled shrimp or blackened catfish.
ingredients
directions
Remove the kernels from the corn cobs and set aside. Hold the cobs over a large saucepan and use the back of a knife to scrape down the cobs to “milk” them of any corn liquid. Drop the scraped cobs into the saucepan and add 8 cups of water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 6 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain and keep warm.
Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the onion is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn just starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the oats and stir until coated. Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the warm corn broth to the oats. Simmer, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 more cups of broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until the oats are tender but slightly toothsome, about 10 to 12 minutes more. Remove from the heat, stir in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust the consistency of the risotto by adding more of the broth as necessary. Pour into a serving dish, sprinkle with the dill and a few more grinds of pepper and serve immediately.