White Bean Risotto with Chard and Fried Okra

I said that I like it when people send me recipes and I meant it! My best friend's mother, ridiculously skilled in the kitchen herself, sent a link my way, so naturally I had to try my hand at it. I then proceeded to change it. Why? Because I just can't help myself. I thought that it might be a wee bit bland prepared exactly as it was (some of the reviews back me up on this), and I am too lazy to measure so anything I do is a bit of a hack job anyway. Oh, and the store was out of butter beans.

So, what did I do to it? I replaced butter beans with northern white beans, a less flavorful bean, but I knew that it would work just fine. Then I added prosciutto to the mix, used a bit more onion and probably some extra wine, and likely a bit more parm than the recipe called for. What didn't I change? I prepared the okra exactly as directed (except a lot more of it), and it turned out marvelously. I also handled the chard as recommended.

This means I now know an easy and delicious way to fry okra. Such things cannot end well.

White Bean Risotto with Chard and Fried Okra

Fried Okra
1-1.5 cup 1/2-inch pieces trimmed fresh okra
1 cup buttermilk (enough to cover the okra)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1-1.5 teaspoon salt
1-1.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Place okra in small bowl; pour buttermilk over. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain off buttermilk.

2) Place cornmeal in medium bowl. Mix in salt and pepper. Add okra; toss to coat.

3) Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add okra; sauté until brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 375°F oven 5 minutes before using.

Risotto
1-2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup (packed) 1/2-inch squares Swiss chard (from about 3 large leaves)
4-5 cups low-salt chicken broth (if you don't use low-sodium, you might end up with an *extremely* salty dish, the prosciutto and parm are pretty salty on their own)
1 small diced onion
3-4 oz prosciutto, diced
1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 15- to 16-ounce can northern white beans, rinsed, drained
1-2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1) Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chard and toss until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low and keep broth warm. Cold broth is not as easily absorbed by the rice.

2) Saute prosciutto to release some fat, add onion; sauté until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes.

3) Add rice; stir to coat well.

4) Add wine; simmer until wine evaporates, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Simmer until absorbed, stirring almost constantly, about 2 minutes. Continue to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, simmering until broth is absorbed each time and rice is creamy and just tender, stirring almost constantly, about 18 minutes longer.

5) Mix in chard, then beans, Parmesan. Season risotto with salt and pepper if needed (taste it first).

6) Divide risotto among bowls; sprinkle with okra.