Dual-Rice Risotto with Black Rice, Arborio, and Seared Artichokes

Using a chef's knife on a cutting board, snap off the fibrous dark green outer leaves of the baby artichokes until pale yellow leaves appear, slice off the top 1 cm of thorny tips, peel the tough exterior of the stem, and cut each artichoke lengthwise into quarters.

Place the black venere rice, 600 ml water, and 1 g fine sea salt into a small saucepan over medium-high heat at 100°C (212°F), bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.

Pour the par-cooked black rice into a fine-mesh sieve set over the sink to drain all residual cooking water, then set the drained rice aside.

Pour the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan over medium heat, bringing it to a gentle simmer at 90°C (194°F), then turn heat to the lowest setting to keep the broth hot throughout the cooking process.

Warm 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat at 175°C (347°F), add the quartered artichokes cut-side down, and sauté undisturbed for 6 minutes until deeply browned.

Transfer the seared artichokes from the pan onto a plate using a wooden spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil to the same large heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat at 150°C (302°F), add the diced shallots and minced garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes while stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

Add the raw arborio rice to the pan and toast over medium heat at 160°C (320°F) for 2 minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the rice edges turn translucent while the center remains pearly white.

Pour the dry white wine into the pan over medium heat at 95°C (203°F) to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes until the liquid is almost completely evaporated.

Add approximately 150 ml of the hot vegetable broth to the rice using a ladle, simmering over medium heat at 90°C (194°F) while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, adding another ladle only when the pan bottom shows clear through the wake of the spoon, repeating for 16 minutes.

Add the drained par-cooked black venere rice to the simmering Arborio risotto, gently folding with a wooden spoon over medium-low heat at 85°C (185°F) for 3 minutes until uniformly distributed and heated through.

Stir the reserved seared artichokes into the risotto pan with a wooden spoon, cooking over low heat for 1 minute until the artichokes are warmed through.

Remove the pan completely from the heat source and vigorously beat in the chilled cubed butter, finely grated vegetarian hard cheese, 15 ml lemon juice, 2 g lemon zest, 4 g fine sea salt, and black pepper using a wooden spoon to complete the mantecatura.

Garnish the risotto with the chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint, divide equally among wide shallow bowls, and serve immediately.