Creamy Risotto with Edamame

• Recipe by Jeff Smith

Smith loves cooking with his children and often lets them pick the ingredients. "Kids come up with cool flavor combinations that an adult would never think of," he says. "I learn a lot that way." This risotto was created when Smith’s daughter, Isabelle, tossed some Laughing Cow cheese into a pot of risotto. "It adds a lot of richness without making the dish taste too sharp," Smith says. The cup of Budweiser beer is his own addition, a last-minute fix on a night he found himself without white wine in the house. "I ended up preferring it to wine in this dish," he says.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
2. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. 2 medium shallots, very finely chopped (1/4 cup)
5. 3 garlic cloves, minced
6. 1 cup arborio rice
7. 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
8. 1 cup lager beer, such as Budweiser
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. Three 3/4-ounce wedges Laughing Cow cheese

Directions

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
3. Mix the chicken broth with the beer and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the beer broth to the rice and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the broth, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. The rice is done when it’s al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy liquid, about 17 minutes total. Add the edamame and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.