Black & White Quinoa Risotto

Soak the black quinoa in tepid water for 20 minutes. Rinse until water runs clear. Drain well.

Rinse the white quinoa until water runs clear. Drain well.

Heat the stock to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low, cover and reserve.

In a large, heavy bottomed pan (cast iron works well), sauté the shallot and celery in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the black and white quinoa, and continue to cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for another minute or two.

Pour in the wine, and stir constantly while the liquid reduces until the pan is almost dry. Add the stock to the quinoa, 1-2 ladles at a time. Stir constantly, waiting for the quinoa to absorb almost all the liquid before adding more. Monitor the temperature closely; you want the liquid at a brisk simmer, but not boiling rapidly.

Continue to cook, adding liquid as needed, until the white quinoa is just starts to break down and the black quinoa is al dente, about 30-40 minutes. Stir in the cheese, herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with more parmesan, herbs, coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Tips:

Black quinoa has a tougher coating than the white . A quick soak for the black evens out their cooking time.

If you can , use the real stuff: Parmigiano Reggiano.

For the herbs, I used a mixture of flat leaf parsley and thyme.