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If you’re looking for something a little luxurious for dinner this festive season (or to serve as a starter for a small-scale festive dinner party) you’re going to absolutely love my Champagne and Caviar Risotto.
A light, simple champagne risotto stirred through with plenty of pecorino cheese and a little lumpfish caviar, it’s an example of how you can make good, simple ingredients sing. The rice takes on the flavour of a good glass of champagne, slightly acidic and sweet but balanced out nicely by butter and cream, and the caviar adds a nice salty pop to every bite. Finish it with flat leaf parsley or chopped chives, and enjoy it with the rest of the bottle (and I’m not going to stop you making a champagne cocktail to sip whilst you’re stirring the risotto either!)
Choosing Your Caviar
if you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that Elsinore’s Lumpfish Caviar has been one of my favourite go-to products at Christmas to add a little luxury to dishes, and that is what is pictured on this risotto – at just £2.50 for 50g it’s a super affordable little luxury with a good flavour – you’ll have plenty of leftovers from this recipe to stir into scrambled eggs or to use in some of the other caviar-including recipes I’ve included below. Full disclosure, they gifted me the jar I used in this recipe, but a jar is a festive essential for me regardless!
But, if you want this for a very special NYE dinner say and you’re using a fancy champagne (I’ve also listed a few bottle options below) Exmoor Caviar is a fantastic British-grown product I’ve been really impressed with, and whilst I’ve not tried any I’ve been impressed with other products when I’ve ordered from The Fish Society and they have a good selection this year too.
Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t find / I don’t like caviar. What else pairs well with this champagne risotto?
Honestly, any seafood will be delicious here. Butter seared scallops would be my pick, or garlic butter-sautéed brown shrimp. If you still want to keep things as simple as just opening a jar or packet, ribbons of good smoked salmon stirred into the risotto at the end would also be fantastic; they’ll cook slightly in the residual warmth of the risotto, and the flavour of the fish will infuse into the surrounding rice.
Do I have to use champagne in this champagne and caviar risotto recipe?
Of course not! Any dry or demi-sec sparkling wine will do – if you look closely at the pictures, you’ll see I’m actually using a bottle of Cremant de Bordeaux. Cremant de Loire would also be a good pick (I love Cremant as an affordable champagne alternative) or Cava would also work well.
This simple, luxurious Champagne and Caviar Risotto recipe turns a handful of good ingredients into a simple supper for two which is perfect for New Years Eve!
Ingredients
Scale
2 banana shallots
2 large knobs unsalted butter
salt
150g risotto rice
200ml champagne
15g freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving
1 1/2 tbsp lumpfish caviar
chopped flat leaf parsley or chives, for serving
Instructions
Melt a large knob of butter over a medium heat in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan until frothing. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the shallot.
Gently fry the shallot for about 8 minutes with a pinch of salt until soft, but not at all coloured.
Stir in the risotto rice so that the remaining butter coats the grains. Cook for a few minutes until the rice is heated through.
Add the champagne, and let it bubble away and reduce, stirring often. Meanwhile, boil the kettle.
Measure out 700ml of water and gradually add it to the rice, little by little, stirring often, waiting for the last bit to be fully absorbed into the rice before adding more.
Once you’ve used almost all or all the liquid, and the rice is tender with a little bite to it, stir in the other large knob of butter. Then, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the pecorino.
Season to taste with salt before spooning into warm bowls.
Spoon the caviar between the two bowls, swirling the caviar slightly into the rice. Top with a little parsley or chives, and a generous grating of more pecorino. Eat immediately!
Notes
This recipe can easily be scaled up but you might need more or less liquid – keep tasting the rice to see when it is almost done!
I'm a food writer living in the English Countryside. Welcome to my online diary where I share easy, weeknight recipes, foodie travel diaries and some of the best places I've eaten out recently.
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