Sweet Corn Risotto with Chili Lime Butter
Creamy arborio risotto built on three layers of sweet corn: a simmered-cob broth, a silky corn purée and charred kernels. A melting spoonful of zesty chili lime butter on top brings heat and brightness.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 3 min
- Total
- 1 hr 8 min
- Makes
- 4 main-course servings (about 5 cups total)
Steps
Before you start
- Risotto needs near-constant stirring for the last 20 minutes, so have every ingredient prepped and within reach before the rice goes in the pot.
- Butter for the chili lime butter must be soft (about 30 minutes at room temperature), so take it out first.
- Use low-sodium broth. It reduces as the rice cooks, and regular broth can make the finished dish too salty.
- Cut the kernels from the cobs over a large bowl, then save the stripped cobs. They flavor the broth.
- Fresh corn is best. If using frozen, use 3 cups (450 g), thawed and patted dry, and skip the cob simmer.
Mix chili lime butter
- In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the lime zest, lime juice, minced chili, ancho chili powder, grated garlic and flaky salt using a fork until evenly speckled and smooth.
- Scrape onto a piece of plastic wrap or leave in the bowl, and set aside at room temperature while you cook.
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Ready when: Butter is smooth with no streaks of juice and the chili is evenly distributed.
Tip: If the butter looks split or watery, keep mashing; the lime juice will emulsify as you go.
Cut corn, simmer cobs
- Stand each ear upright in a large bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife; you should have about 3 cups (450 g).
- Snap each stripped cob in half and add to a medium saucepan with the 4½ cups (1,060 ml) broth.
- Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low, and keep hot for 15 minutes so the cobs release their sweet flavor.
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Ready when: Broth smells distinctly of sweet corn and is steaming but not boiling.
Tip: Run the back of the knife down the cob to squeeze out the milky liquid into the bowl; it adds sweetness.
Char the kernels
- Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add 1 cup (150 g) of the kernels in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Season with a pinch of the kosher salt and transfer to a small bowl for topping.
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Ready when: Kernels are blistered with deep golden-brown spots and a few pop.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan or the corn will steam instead of char.
Purée the corn
- Fish the cobs out of the broth and discard them.
- Ladle ½ cup (120 ml) of the hot broth into a blender, add 1 cup (150 g) of raw kernels and blend on high for 1 minute until very smooth.
- Set the purée aside.
- You will have 1 cup (150 g) of raw kernels left for stirring in later.
- Keep the remaining 4 cups (about 950 ml) of broth at a bare simmer over low heat.
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Ready when: Purée looks like thick, pale-yellow cream with no visible pieces.
Tip: Hold the blender lid down with a folded towel when blending hot liquid.
Soften onion and garlic
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil in the large risotto pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning; garlic smells fragrant.
Tip: Lower the heat if the onion starts to color; browned onion will dull the sweet corn flavor.
Toast the rice
- Add the arborio rice to the pot and stir constantly for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in oil and heated through.
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Ready when: Edges of the grains turn translucent with a white dot in the center, and they smell lightly nutty.
Tip: Don't rinse the rice; the surface starch is what makes risotto creamy.
Deglaze with wine
- Pour in the white wine and stir until it is almost fully absorbed and the pot looks nearly dry, about 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The sharp wine smell cooks off and a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a clear trail.
Add broth gradually
- Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add the hot broth one ladleful (about ¾ cup / 180 ml) at a time, stirring frequently.
- Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next.
- After about 10 minutes, stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Continue for 18 to 22 minutes total, using all 4 cups of broth.
- The risotto should bubble gently, never boil hard.
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Ready when: Rice is tender with a slight firmness at the center (al dente) and the mixture flows slowly like thick porridge when you drag a spoon through it.
Tip: If you run out of broth before the rice is tender, add hot water ¼ cup at a time.
Stir in the corn
- Stir in the corn purée and the remaining 1 cup (150 g) raw kernels.
- Cook 3 minutes, stirring, until the kernels turn bright yellow and just tender and the risotto is creamy and loose.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
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Ready when: Kernels are tender-crisp and the risotto ripples when you shake the pot.
Tip: Add a splash of hot water if it looks stiff; it will tighten as it stands.
Finish and rest
- Off the heat, stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, half of the chili lime butter (about 2 tablespoons) and black pepper.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
- Cover and rest for 3 minutes so it becomes creamy and settles.
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Ready when: Cheese and butter are fully melted and the risotto looks glossy and flows in a soft wave.
Tip: Serve promptly; risotto continues to thicken as it cools.
Plate and serve
- Spoon the risotto into 4 warm shallow bowls.
- Top each with a spoonful of charred corn, a dollop of the remaining chili lime butter, crumbled cotija, cilantro and a lime wedge.
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Ready when: Butter begins to melt into glossy orange streaks over the hot risotto.
Tip: Squeeze the lime over just before eating for the brightest flavor.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep the broth hot; adding cold broth stalls the cooking and makes the rice gummy.
- Stir often but not frantically; steady, gentle stirring releases starch without breaking the grains.
- Taste the rice at 18 minutes; you want a tiny bit of bite at the center because it keeps softening during the rest.
- For extra heat, leave the seeds in the Fresno chili or add a pinch of cayenne to the butter.
Make ahead
"The chili lime butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator; soften at room temperature before using. Corn can be cut from the cobs and the broth infused up to 1 day ahead. The risotto itself is best made just before serving."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 1 hour. Refrigerator: store leftover risotto in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of broth or water, stirring until creamy. Freezer: not recommended for the risotto because the texture turns gummy; the chili lime butter freezes well for up to 2 months."
Substitutions
- dry white wine → Additional vegetable broth plus 1 tablespoon lime juice. Gives the acidity wine would provide; use ½ cup (120 ml) broth.
- fresh sweet corn → 3 cups (450 g) frozen corn kernels, thawed. Skip the cob simmer; char and purée as written. Pat dry before charring.
- cotija cheese → Feta or ricotta salata. Similar salty, crumbly texture.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano → Vegetarian hard cheese or nutritional yeast (2 tbsp). Traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano uses animal rennet, so swap for a strictly vegetarian version.
