Hi Karen
I have saved these directions and recipe from "The Splendid Table."
HTH,
Penny
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February 13, 2008
Dear Friends,
You say "risotto" to people and the reaction is,
"I don't have time to make it," but in reality,
in at most 30 minutes risotto can be dinner. And
since right now where I live the wind chill is
running into double digits below zero, a big,
steaming hot bowl of risotto is exactly what is needed.
Tomatoes, herbs, browned pancetta and bits of
vegetable all bring their goodness to this
risotto. It's practically a garden in a
pottypical Italian home cooking. And it's a good
model for using whatever you have on hand to improvise your own risotto.
Here are the improv basics: Take a leftover sauté
of vegetables or just about anything else, or
maybe simple steamed or roasted vegetables. The
drill is always the same: sauté some onion until
it's clear and soft (with or without the carrots
and celery used below). Then add the leftovers to
warm them through. Then stir in the rice and
sauté it. Once you see little white dots in the
center of the rice kernel, add the wine, then the broth as described below.
The great trick with risotto is reduction to
concentrate flavors. This is why you never cover
the pot as you add simmering liquid in small
amounts, stirring the risotto with a large wooden
spatula so you can sweep up the rice from the
bottom of the pot and protect it from sticking.
As each liquid addition is absorbed (and
partially simmers off), you add a little more.
You want the final risotto to be moist and
creamy, but not soupy, and the rice should have a
little resistance to the bite.
Oh, and do use medium-grain rice, not long-grain.
Believe it or not, they possess different
starches which react differently in cooking.
Long-grain rice will break in the stirring and
you want it to be fluffy and dry; while
medium-grain will become creamy and keep its shape.
Sorry for being so long winded about risotto; the
main point is once you do it, the next time it will be almost instinctive.
Farmwoman's Risotto
Risotto alla Contadina
Adapted from The Italian Country Table: Home
Cooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens by Lynne
Rossetto Kasper (Scribner, 1999). Copyright 1999 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Serves 6 to 9 as a first course, 4 as a main dish
Tomatoes, herbs, browned pancetta and bits of
vegetable all bring their goodness to this
risotto. It's practically a garden in a
pottypical country home cooking. And it's a good
model for using whatever you have on hand to
improvise your own risotto. In twenty minutes, risotto can be dinner.
Top halves of 2 celery stalks with leaves
1 medium carrot
1 medium red onion
Leaves from 5 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
6 large fresh sage leaves or whole dried leaves
3 1/8-inch-thick slices pancetta or good-quality salami, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme or a generous 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
A 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups Italian Carnaroli rice or Arborio rice, or
domestic medium-grain rice available in supermarkets
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup drained canned tomatoes
About 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese (if unavailable, use good Grana Padano or domestic Asiago)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
1. Mince together the vegetables, parsley, sage,
and pancetta or salami. Heat the oil in a 5- to
6-quart deep heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté
the minced blend with the bay, thyme, and
rosemary until golden, not dark brown, seasoning
with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, bring the broth or water to a gentle simmer.
2. Blend the rice into the vegetables and cook,
stirring frequently, 3 minutes, or until it looks
chalky and a white dot is clearly visible in the
center of each grain. Stir in the wine, cooking
until it has been absorbed. Add the tomatoes,
crushing them with your hands, stirring until no longer soupy.
3. Begin adding the broth a cup at a time,
simmering and stirring until each addition has
been absorbed by the rice. After about 6 cups,
add the broth in 1/2-cup portions and start
tasting the rice. It should be tender but still a
little firm, never mushy. Risotto is creamy without being soupy.
4. When the rice is a little firmer than you'd
like, remove the pot from the heat. Remove the
bay leaves and herb sprigs. Fold in the cheese
and the optional butter. Taste and season with
salt and pepper. Let the risotto rest a moment to
meld the flavors, then spoon into heated soup dishes and serve immediately.
LYNNE'S TIPS
Try varying the herbs, using a blend that you like.
Instead of stock, use half red wine and half water.
Eliminate the meat if you'd like and add some
chopped cabbage or cooked beans along with the vegetables.
Medium-grain rice is the one to use for risotto
because its starch (amylopectin) cooks to a
creamy consistency while the grains maintain a pleasing firmness to the bite.
Don't overcook the rice. In Italy, overcooked,
mushy risotto is tossed out, never eaten.
Buy organic rice if possible. On imported Italian
brands, look for "biologici" or "biologica,"
meaning organic. "Senza uso di diserbanti e
concimi chimici" is another expression that may
appear on a package label. It translates as
"grown without harmful herbicides and fertilizers."
My favorite medium-grain imported Italian rices
for risotto, in order of preference, include
Carnaroli, Arborio (easiest to find), Vialone Nano, and Baldo.
Keep rice in a sealed container in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
THOUGHTS FROM LYNNE
Although in a pinch you can use domestic
medium-grain rice found in many supermarkets, it
doesn't have the flavor and fragrance of Italian
rices. Arborio rice is readily available in well
stocked supermarkets. For the other medium-grain
rices mentioned above check these online sources:
Organic Carnaroli
A. G. Ferrari Foods (Pila Vecia brand)
www.agferrari.com
Vialone Nano
Earthy Foods
www.earthy.com
Baldo
Kalustyans
www.kalustyans.com
Have a great week,
Lynne
t 09:57 PM 5/9/2011, you wrote:
Hi list,
A cousin once made this dish and I thought it fantastic. My previous 2
attempts were not even fit for stray animals.
I'd like a recipe (and guidelines) on how to prepare a really yummy risotto.
My cousin used cream of mushroom soup in hers and I'm wondering if that may
have helped her dish to come out so good. I'd welcome all ideas.
Last night I had a lovely chicken salad which was made with strips of
chicken breast, romaine lettuce, mandarin and pecans in an orange
vinaigrette; it was totally yum and needless to say not from my kitchen.
Thanks loads.
Kerry
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