Risotto – COLLECTION

Creamy Risotto

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 C Arborio rice (or similar) – set aside
  Other similar rices are Vilone Nano and Carnaroli rice – read more
• 1 1/4 C broth – set aside
• 1/2 C white wine – set aside
• 3 TBL grated Parmesan, Gruyere or Padano cheese
• 1 TBL EVOO and 1 TBL butter per person – set aside
• 2 shallots – minced
• one bay leaf
• 2 Mushrooms – Baby Crimini, Shitake, White or Porcini
  – Reconstituted dry mushrooms are okay too, but fresh is better
• Scant rosemary and nutmeg
• Lemon zest from one lemon
• Grated celery root (optional finely diced celery)
• Garlic, salt and pepper
  If dried spices, let soak in broth 1 hour
• White wine to deglaze

STEP BY STEP

1. Dice shallots into the skillet and soften in the EVOO
2. Add salt to taste and add broth
3. Add arborial rice and heat just until it starts to smell toasty
4. Add lemon zest
5. Deglaze the pan with a splash or two or three of white wine
6. Add stock a ladle at a time.  Not too wet and not too dry. Stir gently.
   Not enough to boil, but you don’t want it to fry and brown any more.
   Scrape the bottom with your spatula.  If it leaves a dry path, it means you need to add more liquid.
7. Taste occasionally and make sure the risotto is not “crunchy.”
   Al dente is OK, but you don’t want any crunch in the rice.  (about 25 minutes)  It needs to be completely softened.
8. As soon as any hint of crunch is gone, turn off the heat and add the butter.
9. After butter has melted, stir in grated cheese, lemon zest and scant nutmeg.
10. At this point, you can stir in chopped asparagus, chives, mushrooms, etc
11. Optionally, sprinkle just a bit of rosemary, chopped parsley, grated celery root, garlic, salt or pepper over the top
12. Thinly grate mushroom over the top:  Truffle, Baby Crimini, Shitake, White or Porcini – Reconstituted dry mushrooms are okay too, but fresh is better
13. Top with grated Parmesan cheese
14. Serve family-style and it will stay creamier longer.

Lemon & Chive Risotto

• Make risotto as shown above, with these exceptions
  • At Step 4 use three lemons, rather than one.
  • At Step 5 increase wine from 1/2 C to 3/4 C
  • At Step 7 add Parmesan cheese rinds
  • At Step 10 (above) add 1/4 C chopped chives

Butternut Squash Barley-Risotto

• 1/2 C pearl barley
• 2 shallots – finely chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 small stalk celery – finely sliced
• 1/2 carrot – julienne strips
  
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 small Butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2 cm cubes

Spices for roasting

• 1 tsp coriander
•   scant cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 C vegetable stock * use scraps and trimmings to MAKE YOUR OWN
• 1/2 C dry white wine
• 2 TBL  butter
• Italian grated hard cheese
• Black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 500º F
2. Toss the butternut squash in olive oil
3. Sprinkle with ground coriander, black pepper and salt.
4. Put onto large baking trays and roast on high shelf for 25 – 35 minutes until slightly browned on the outside but still with quite a bite inside.
5. Put VEGETABLE STOCK into a pan under medium-low heat
   
6. Cover with lid.
7. Sautee the onions in a deep pot using EVOO over medium heat
   
8. Add carrot and celery when onion has softened
9. Add white wine and set to medium-low
10. Add garlic and sage, keep stirring for further 5 minutes.
11. Add barley to the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes.
12. Now add the stock to the pan and stir, bring to boil
13. Turn down to medium heat, and let it all simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed.
14. Add more stock if necessary, simmer, stir, etc. – you don’t need to stay with it all the time but keep on stirring very frequently, always scraping the bottom of the pan – you want to cook it slowly.
15. If you run out of stock you can add water
16. Once the barley looks swollen add zest a well washed lemons, their juice, salt and cracked pepper to the pan.
17. Now add and stir in.
18. Then add Italian style hard cheese (finely grated stuff).
19. Taste, add more salt if necessary.
20. Add the roast butternut squash.
21. Serve topped with chives or parsley
22. Refrigerates well.  Reheat at 400º covered on middle shelf

Mushroom Risotto

• 1/2 onions – finely chopped
• 1/2 carrots – peeled and sliced
• 1 stalk celery – washed and finely sliced
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Rind from washed lemons
• 3-5 mushrooms – sliced roughly
• Pearl Barley – 1/2 C

1. In a medium sized pan (can be a steel one) pour vegetable stock.
2. Cover and bring to boil.
3. In yet another medium sized pan heat up olive oil until very hot and fry the mushrooms on a high heat until browned. Repeat process until all mushrooms are cooked. Put aside.
4. In a large pot, pour in olive oil and fry the onions until transparent.
5. Add the garlic and the celery, and carrots.
6. Turn heat up.
7. Once sizzling, turn heat to medium and cover with lid and let vegetables sweat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
8. Zest the lemons with a grater (finely) and add, with the thyme and bay leaves to the pan.
9. Turn up heat.
10. Add the barley to the pan and stir well.
11. Add stock
12. NOTE:  For the next 30 – 40 minutes you have to stay close by the pan to avoid it all getting stuck. If you need to leave the pan – turn off heat.
13. Once the barley has absorbed most of the liquid, add more, stirring most of the time. Keep on adding and stirring until the barley is all thick and chunky, chewy when tasted, but soft.
14. The whole risotto should be porridge like in consistency – on the runny side.
15. Use water if you run out of stock
16. Add all the mushrooms to the big pan. Stir in.
17. Add cracked pepper to the pan. Stir in.
18. Now add 2 tabs of butter to the large pan and stir in.
19. Then add Italian grated hard cheese (the parmesan like cheese in red and green plastic bags) and stir in.
20. Taste and see whether risotto needs more salt.