For generations, Hateno Village was known primarily for its quiet agricultural life. Vegetables, dairy, and livestock sustained its people, while travelers used Hateno as a quaint rest stop as they passed through on their journeys. That began to change when Cece opened her Ventest Clothing Boutique in town, drawing tourists for fashion and slowly shifting Hateno’s identity.
That is, until Koyin rediscovered her grandfather’s long-forgotten recipe, restoring cheese production to the village after a very long absence. The return of Hateno Cheese was just the thing the village needed: a new tourist draw that contrasted the fashion scene while helping re-anchor Hateno in its agricultural roots.
With cheese back in production, Hateno’s cooks began experimenting. Familiar dishes were revisited, refined, and in some cases transformed entirely. One such dish was risotto. The creamy risottos already enjoyed throughout Hyrule took on new depth when freshly made Hateno cheese was stirred in at the finish, adding richness and a gentle tang that pushed the dish in a new direction. It’s the perfect meal to end a day of perusing designer mushroom-themed clothes before retiring to the Ton Pu Inn.
“Rich risotto made with Hylian rice and Hateno cheese.”
This version of cheesy risotto admittedly skips the mushroom and fish mentioned in the in-game ingredients (those are covered elsewhere). Instead, it leans fully into the richness of the cheese, finishing the rice with a blend of Parmesan and Gruyère for depth and nuttiness. The risotto is built in a traditional manner with shallot, white wine, and stock added gradually to release starch and create its signature creaminess. From there, it’s enriched off the heat with butter and a generous amount of cheese, then thinned just enough with warm stock to achieve that loose, almost custard-like consistency. Crisp baked cheese tuiles are added at the end for contrast, mirroring the in-game photo. This is exactly the sort of meal I’d want after a day spent exploring the many facets of Hateno Village.
Ingredients
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
2 cups arborio rice
¼ tsp salt, plus additional as needed
½ cup white wine
6 cups chicken broth
1 ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 ¼ cups finely grated gruyere cheese, divided
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat an oven to 375 °F.
First, we will make the triangular cheese tuiles that will garnish the risotto. Mix 1 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese with ½ cup of the grated gruyere cheese together in a bowl.
Place sheets of parchment paper across two baking sheets. Place 2 tbsp of the grated cheese in a mound on the parchment paper and flatten a shape into a triangle roughly 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. Spread the cheese out as thinly and evenly as possible.
Repeat this across both baking sheets, placing 6 triangles on each sheet, keeping them spaced approximately 2 inches apart.
Place both trays side by side on the middle oven rack and bake for 5–7 minutes, until the tuiles are bubbling throughout with golden edges and the center of each just set (but not pale).
At this point, remove the baking sheets from the oven and set them on a trivet on the counter to cool. Allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes. They will set as they cool. Once they have fully set, you can gently lift them off the parchment with a thin spatula. Your cheese tuiles are ready.
At this point, remove the baking sheets from the oven and set them on a trivet on the counter to cool. Allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes. They will set as they cool. Once they have fully set, you can gently lift them off the parchment with a thin spatula. Your cheese tuiles are ready.
Now we can get working on the risotto. Pour the broth into a small stock pot, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer.
Mix ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese and ½ cup of gruyere cheese together in a bowl.
Place a pan over medium heat. Once warm, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, coat the pan, and then add the shallots. Cook the shallots until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the rice along with ¼ tsp of salt and stir to coat the rice grains evenly with oil. Sauté the rice for a minute or two to lightly toast it. The rice should turn opaque, but do not let it brown or burn.
Add the white wine, stir, and allow it to cook until the wine just about completely cooks off about 2 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and start adding the broth a half cup at a time (I usually use a ladle). Stir frequently as the broth cooks off. Do not add the next ½ cup of broth until the prior is almost completely cooked off. Do not allow the rice to burn through this process. Keep stirring. As the rice cooks it should begin to release starch and become a little creamy.
Once the rice is al dente (firm, but not undercooked), add one more ladleful of broth (or another ¼ to ½ cup) of the stock, and stir it into the rice. Immediately remove the pan from the heat (don’t let the stock cook off this time), and stir 4 tbsp of butter into the rice and broth. Stir until it has fully melted.
Now add the cheese blend, one handful at a time, stirring until it has completely melted Nevis adding more. Repeat this until the cheese has been fully added and melted into the risotto. Add one last ladle of warm broth into the risotto and stir to incorporate it. At this point the rice should be loose and creamy; it should appear to be sitting in a custard. Salt to taste, as needed. The risotto is ready.
To serve, spoon the risotto into shallow bowl, tapping the bottom of the bowl gently with your hand to level the risotto. Garnish with one or two of the cheese tuiles and some of the chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Learn more about the Cheesy Risotto dish from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at Zelda Dungeon.