briciole

risotto alle fragole

strawberry risotto

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

strawberry risotto

Berries and risotto make a enticing duo: my risotto ai lamponi (raspberry risotto) and risotto alle more are not only pretty, but also surprising in their ability to deliver a satisfying berry flavor in a savory dish. While I was immediately successful in marrying risotto with two kinds of berries, with a third one, strawberries, I could not strike the right note. I tried three variations, but the result did not satisfy me completely, so I gave up.

Last year, I learned about roasting strawberries and successfully adapted the technique to prepare them for gelato, frittata and, most recently, a version of lassi that uses my homemade kefir. The question then formed in my mind: would roasted strawberries be the ingredient that finally gives me a satisfying risotto con le fragole? The title of the post gives away the affirmative answer.

In this risotto, I finally obtained the strawberry flavor I wanted. Once again, the roasting process with the touch of balsamic vinegar and sugar brings out the berries' flavor. I realize that it also adds to the time requirement for the preparation, but you can roast the berries ahead of time: just remember to warm them up before adding them to the cooking risotto, so they don't cool it drastically.

Vialone Nano, Carnaroli and Arborio are the types of rice I have used to make risotto. My preference goes to the first two, which, unfortunately, are the kinds most difficult to find in the US. If you find some Carnaroli or Vialone Nano at an affordable price, I suggest you try it. If not, you can use Arborio.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for risotto alle fragole

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. [340 g] strawberries, organic or pesticide-free
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) of good quality
• 1 teaspoon sugar, possibly ultra-fine
• 1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot (scalogno)
• 1 cup [200 g] Vialone Nano, Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons [30 ml] white wine, not cold
• 2 cups [475 ml] vegetable broth, possibly homemade + 1 cup [235 ml] water to make a light vegetable broth
• sea salt, to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Wash strawberries and carve out stem. Place in a bowl, sprinkle  balsamic vinegar and sugar on them, and toss gently. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Place strawberries on the sheet on a single layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let strawberries cool slightly, then cut them (lengthwise) into 4-6 pieces, depending on their size. Set aside a dozen pieces to garnish the bowls at serving time.

shortly after adding the roasted strawberries

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a 1 qt. saucepan and keep it at that temperature (you may not need it all, depending on the variety of rice you use). In a 2 qt. saucepan, warm up olive oil, then add the shallot and stir. Cook for a few minutes until the shallot is translucent, then add the rice.

Toast the rice for one minute, while stirring, then add the wine. Let the wine evaporate, while stirring the rice, then add enough of the simmering broth to barely cover the rice. Allow the rice to absorb most of the broth, then add more broth, a ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb most of the broth before adding more. Make sure the rice never gets dry, keep it at a lively simmer and stir at regular intervals.

If the strawberries are cold, warm them up (in the microwave, use the defrost option to do this; otherwise, keep the bowl where they are on top of the pan with the broth). Ten minutes after the first addition of broth, pour strawberries and their juice into the pan and stir well. Make sure the rice comes back to a lively simmer. Continue cooking the rice as before, adding simmering broth as needed.

Taste the rice 6 minutes after adding the strawberries: if it feels a bit hard at the core, cook it a minute or two longer, then check again. (The cooking time depends on various factors, including the kind of rice.) If cold, warm up the strawberry pieces you set aside earlier.

Risotto should be soft and creamy, but with some body (slightly al dente). Remove the pan from the heat, add a bit of salt and the cheese and stir well to incorporate. Taste and adjust the salt, if needed. Let the risotto rest, covered, for a few minutes while you gather the guests around the table. Plate and decorate with the strawberry pieces . Serve immediately and enjoy.

Let me say it again: this risotto is worth the extra effort needed to prepare the berries.

This is my contribution to edition #335 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Simona of briciole.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

risotto alle fragole

or launch the risotto alle fragole audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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risotto, rice, strawberry

Per i lettori italiani

risotto alle fragole

Il risotto ai lamponi e il risotto alle more mi venivano bene da un po'. Invece quello alle fragole — provato in tre variazioni — non mi soddisfaceva e quindi ho gettato la spugna.

L'anno scorso, poi, ho imparato a cuocere le fragole al forno e ci ho preparato gelato, frittata e di recente  una versione del lassi che utilizza il mio kefir fatto in casa. Ho pensato: e se  provassi di nuovo a fare il risotto con le fragole? Il risultato finalmente mi ha soddisfatto: in questo risotto sono riuscita ad ottenere la fragolosità che cercavo. La cottura in forno con un pochino di aceto balsamico e zucchero fa risaltare il sapore delle fragole. Mi rendo conto che contribuisce anche ad allungare i tempi di preparazione, ma potete cuocere le fragole in anticipo e poi scaldarle prima dell'uso per evitare che il riso venga raffreddato.

Carnaroli e Vialone Nano sono i tipi di riso che preferisco ma non sono facili da trovare negli USA (e infatti di solito ne metto in valigia un chilo quando vengo in visita in Italia). In caso di carenza del riso preferito, uso l'Arborio.

Ingredienti:

• 340 g di fragole bio o senza pesticidi
• mezzo cucchiaino [2,5 ml] aceto balsamico
• 1 cucchiaino [5 ml] zucchero, possibilmente finissimo
• 1/2-1 cucchiaio [7,5-15 ml] olio d'oliva
• 2 cucchiai [30 ml] scalogno tritato finemente
• 200 g riso Vialone Nano, Carnaroli o Arborio
  
• 2 cucchiai [30 ml] vino bianco non freddo
• 475 ml brodo vegetale + 235 ml acqua per ottenere un brodo leggero
• sale fino, q.b.
• 2-3 cucchiai di Parmigiano-Reggiano appena grattato

Lavare le fragole e privarle del picciolo. Mettere le fragole in una ciotola e aggiungere aceto balsamico e zucchero. Mescolare con delicatezza. Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone che sia più lungo e più largo della lastra, in modo che il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno non finisca sotto il tappetino.

Mettere in forno e cuocere per 20 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le fragole in forno un paio di minuti in più.) Lasciar intiepidire leggermente le fragole. Tagliarle per il lungo in 4-6 pezzi (a seconda di quanto sono grosse). Mettere da parte una dozzina di pezzetti per guarnire il risotto impiattato.

cosa bolle in pentola?

Portare a ebollizione il brodo vegetale leggero e mantenerlo in lieve ebollizione (quanto ne userete dipende dal tipo di riso che usate). In una pentola, scaldarel'olio d'oliva e aggiungere lo scalogno . Cuocere a fuoco basso per qualche minuto, poi aggiungere il riso. Tostare il riso per un minuto, poi aggiungere il vino. Lasciare evaporare il vino, girando il riso, poi aggiungere abbastanza brodo bollente da coprire appena il riso. un mestolo alla volta. Lasciare che il riso assorba la maggior parte del brodo, poi aggiungerne ancora, un mestolo alla volta. Mantenere il riso bagnato col brodo e cuocere, girando ad intervalli regolari.

Se le fragole sono fredde, scaldarle un po' (nel forno a microonde utilizzando la funzione che scongela oppure tenendo la scodella dove sono le fragole sopra la pentola dove bolle il brodo, tipo bagno maria). Dieci minuti dopo la prima aggiunta di brodo, versare le fragole e il loro succo nella pentola del riso e mescolare bene. Riportare il riso a temperatura e continuare a cuocerlo come prima, aggiungendo brodo quando necessita.

Assaggiare 6 minuti dopo aver aggiunto le fragole e se il riso è ancora un po' duro al centro, lasciar cuocere un altro minuto o due, poi assaggiare di nuovo. Se sono fredde, scaldare i pezzi di fragola per la guarnizione. Togliere la pentola dal fuoco e aggiungere il sale secondo il gusto e il parmigiano. Mescolare finché il formaggio è ben distribuito, poi far riposare il risotto, coperto, per alcuni minuti. Impiattare il risotto e guarnirlo con dei pezzetti di fragola. Servire immediatamente e gustare.

Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 335 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Simona di briciole.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.

riso rosso bhutanese con bietola novella

Bhutanese red rice with baby Swiss chard

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

This story starts with a plan for risotto with baby Swiss chard (bietola, also called bieta) from my little vegetable garden. That was Plan A and it had to be shelved due to an insufficient amount of Carnaroli rice in the box. Plan B, which entailed the use of Arborio rice, had to be shelved too, for the same reason. Clearly, my pantry (dispensa) inventory tracking system is not working properly.

Plan C started to take the shape of using whole-grain Carnaroli rice, when the small bag of red Bhutanese rice found itself in the trajectory of my hand. I resisted the idea: red Swiss chard would not stand out, color-wise, when cooked with red rice. On the other hand, this red rice is really good. I relented: I would use the red rice, but the dish would still be a risotto with baby Swiss chard.

I have a deep respect for my little chard plants. They withstood several intense storms during the Holidays and put out tender leaves (foglioline, diminutive of foglie, leaves). They are currently enjoying a spell of nice weather (bel tempo), some well-deserved sun after days and nights of rain and wind. Besides red, I also have a few yellow chard plants (the color refers to the chard stalks), but their leaves were not quite ready to be picked, so I kept my original plan to use only red chard for the risotto.

Bhutanese red rice is flavorful and quite nutritious. According to this page, it is the only product exported by Bhutan, a kingdom on the Himalayas. If you go to the page of the importer of the rice¹, you can read:

Bhutanese Red Rice has been grown for thousands of years at 8,000 feet in the fertile soil of the Paro Valley, irrigated with 1,000-year-old glacier water rich in trace minerals... this quick-cooking whole grain is a nutritional and culinary superstar. It will entice you with its complex, nutty, earthy flavor, soft texture and beautiful russet color.

For the original risotto plan I had set aside some freshly made leek vegetable stock. It's a vegetable stock prepared according to the recipe for Quick Vegetable Stock from "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison, made with less onion and the roots and dark green leaves of leeks that have been discarded from other cooking projects.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for riso rosso bhutanese con bietola novella

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• a small shallot, minced
• 1 cup Bhutanese red rice
• 1 and 1/2 cup homemade vegetable stock + 1 cup water
• a generous splash of white wine (vino bianco), not cold
• 8-10 leaves of colored baby chard, or a handful of baby spinach leaves (spinaci novelli, see Variation below)
  
• salt, to taste
• freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

Wash the baby chard leaves, cut the stalks  and chop them finely. Bring the diluted stock to a simmer in a saucepan. In another saucepan, warm up half to one tablespoon of olive oil, then add the  shallot. Cook on low for a couple of minutes, then add the chopped chard stalks and continue cooking for several more minutes, until the shallot is translucent. Add the rice and let it toast for one minute, then add the white wine. Let the wine evaporate, while stirring the rice, then add enough broth to cover the rice. Continue to add the simmering broth, a ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb it. Keep the risotto at a nice simmer and stir it at regular intervals. Make sure the rice is always quite wet. (This rice behaves differently from Carnaroli or Arborio when cooked risotto style.)

After 30 minutes, add the chard leaves, cut into ribbons. Continue cooking until the rice is done (5-7 minutes). Add 1/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano. Stir until the cheese is melted, then let the risotto rest, covered, for a few minutes while you gather the guests around the table. Adjust the salt. Serve with additional parmigiano reggiano on the side.

Variation: you can make this recipe using a handful of baby spinach, left whole, added at the same time as you would add the chard leaves.

The result is a departure from traditional risotto, but a tasty one. You eat something special and you know it. My husband now calls this "my favorite rice."  (I may have generated a monster here.)

This is my contribution to edition #269 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Janet from Taste Space.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

riso rosso bhutanese con bietola novella

 or launch the riso rosso bhutanese con bietola novella audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

¹The link is for information only: it is not an advertisement. I do not have a business relationship with the company referenced.

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Per i lettori italiani

Questa storia comincia con lidea di fare un risotto utilizzando bietola dal mio orticello. Purtroppo ho dovuto cambiare tale idea perché mi sono accorta di non avere abbastanza riso carnaroli e neppure arborio. Il mio sistema di controllo delle scorte evidentemente non funziona bene.

L'idea numero 3, cioè utilizzare il carnaroli integrale è stata sovvertita dall'incontro tra la mia mano e il pacchetto di riso rosso bhutanese. Non ero convinta perché riso rosso e bietola con le coste rosse non fanno un buon contrasto di colore. D'altra parte, questo riso rosso è davvero buono. Cosi ho deciso di usarlo cuocendolo come un risotto.

La mia bietola ha resistito al maltempo del mese di Dicembre e ora gode del tepore di alcuni giorni di sole. Ho alcune piantine di bietola gialla (cioè con le coste gialle), oltre a quelle di bietola rossa, ma le foglie erano ancora un po' piccole e quindi ho tagliato solo delle foglie dalle piante di bietola rossa. (So che la bieta rossa si trova anche in Italia, per lo meno a Verona. Qui negli USA, la bietola colorata si chiama col nome generico di "rainbow chard", ovvero "bietola arcobaleno" e viene venduta a mazzi composti da coste di vario colore, come potete vedere in questa foto da un mio post di qualche tempo fa.)

Il riso rosso bhutanese è gustoso e nutriente. Secondo il testo su questa pagina, è l'unico prodotto esportato dal Bhutan, uno stato che si trova sull'Himalaya. Sul sito web dell'azienda che importa il riso rosso, si può leggere (traduzione mia):

Il riso rosso bhutanese è coltivato da migliaia di anni a 2400 metri di altitudine nella Paro Valley e irrigato con acqua di ghiacciaio ricca di minerali... questo riso integrale cuoce rapidamente.

Per fare il risotto avevo messo da parte del brodo vegetale preparato con meno cipolla e foglie e radici di porro scartati da un altro progetto culinario (la ricetta per il brodo vegetale che uso è dal libro  "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" di Deborah Madison).

Ingredienti:

• olio d'oliva
• un piccolo scalogno tagliato finemente
• 200 g di riso rosso bhutanese
• 350 ml di brodo vegetale fatto in casa + 250 ml di acqua
• un generoso spruzzo di vino bianco, non freddo
• 8-10 foglie di bietola novella colorata, o una manciata di spinaci novelli (vedi "Variazione" in basso)
• sale a piacere
  
• parmigiano reggiano grattugiato al momento
  

Lavare la bietola e separare le costine, che taglierete a pezzetti. Portare a ebollizione il brodo vegetale diluito e mantenerlo a leggero bollore. Scaldare un cucchiaio di olio d'oliva e aggiungere uno scalogno piccolo tritato finemente. Cuocere a fuoco basso per un paio di minuti, poi aggiungere le coste tagliate e continuare a cuocere per qualche altro minuto finché lo scalogno è translucido.

Aggiungere il riso e tostare per un minuto, poi aggiungere il vino bianco. Far evaporare il vino mescolando il riso e poi aggiungere abbastanza brodo da coprire il riso. Continuare ad aggiungere il brodo, un mestolo alla volta, lasciando tempo al riso di assorbirlo e mescolando ad intervalli regolari. Mantenere il riso bagnato. (Questo tipo di riso si comporta diversamente da carnaroli o arborio quando è preparato stile risotto.)

Dopo 30 minuti, aggiungere la bieta tagliata a striscioline. Continuare a cuocere fino a che il riso è pronto (5-7 minuti). Aggiungere 3-4 cucchiai di parmigiano reggiano e incorporare nel riso. Far riposare per alcuni minuti. Correggere il sale e servire con parmigiano grattugiato a tavola.

Variazione: al posto della bietola, utilizzare una manciata di foglie di spinaci novelli lasciate intere.

Il risultato è un piatto diverso dal risotto tradizionale, ma molto gustoso.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 269 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata e questa settimana anche ospitata da Brii di Briggis recept och ideer.

Questo post contiene il riepilogo dell'evento.

Novel Food #10: risotto all'arancia

orange risotto

Years ago, I found a copy of Michael Dibdin's Ratking in the room of the resort where I was vacationing. I was intrigued by the fact that the story was set in my home town of Perugia, so I read it. Later on, I learned that Dibdin (who died in 2007) had taught at the university there. I have since read a few more novels by him, all featuring police inspector Aurelio Zen and each set in a different part of Italy. All the novels I have read contain interesting references to food and drink.

In Back to Bologna (2005), there is something else: one of the characters, Romano Rinaldi, is a TV chef, and an episode of the book is the televised cooking challenge between him and Edgardo Ugo, university professor of semiotics. The reference here is to Umberto Eco. Eco is widely known for his novels, but before reading his Il nome della rosa (The Name of the Rose), I read, while in college, Opera aperta (literally, open work), a book on literary theory that made an enormous impression on me (if you are curious, the wikipedia entry I referenced above briefly explains what this is about).

Based on my limited experience of Dibdin's work, this novel is different. Zen is more preoccupied with his health (he is recovering from abdominal surgery) and his rapidly deteriorating relationship with Gemma than with the murder at the beginning of the story. The disconnect Zen experiences is reflected in the story, the various characters and their actions. This created the tension that made me continue reading until the last page.

The story of the TV chef is a satire of the world of illusion created for the screen and its audience. The man sings while he makes you believe that he is cooking: he is lo chef che canta e incanta (the chef who sings and enchants). Reality tries to assert itself the first time Rinaldi performs live:

The audience burst into laughter and applause. Rinaldi acknowledged their appreciation of his wit and poise with a rendition of the famous aria from Rigoletto, changing the lyrics to 'La donna è mobile ma indispensabile.' This led to still more applause. Keenly in tune with the mood of his public, he proceeded with the rest of the piece, interpolating or altering lyrics as he went, before ending on a high and long-held note at the very edge of his local range.
It was at this moment that the pan of oil on the stove behind him burst into flames.

What happens next to Rinaldi's career is interesting, and I prefer not to reveal it, in case you decide to read the novel. It was not lo chef che canta e incanta, however, that inspired me, but professor Ugo. At the beginning of the movie, Ugo references a party held at his house, which made me do a bit of additional reading and ultimately inspired me to cook the dish I will describe later on:

He walked downstairs to the gigantic kitchen and peered despondently into the fridge. There were the remains of the dinner to which he'd invited a group of friends and colleagues the previous weekend, all the dishes being prepared communally from Marinetti's tract on Futurist cooking. As the generous quantity of leftovers indicated, the preparation had been more satisfying then the actual food, but it had all looked very striking and had been beautifully photographed for an article about the event in La Cucina Italiana — good publicity for everyone concerned.
He selected a few of the chunks of mortadella and cheese sculpted into letters that had formed part of the dish 'Edible Words', from which all the guests were supposed to eat their own names, then walked through the former's housekeeper's office.

I did not know that the interests of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the founder of Futurism, included gastronomy, so, of course, I had to find out more. There is actually quite a bit, starting from the Il manifesto della cucina futurista (Manifesto of Futurist Cookery), published in 1930. This article describes the message Marinetti launched and the reactions to it. At the beginning of his manifesto, Marinetti calls for the elimination of pasta and supports the consumption of rice. Later on, he states that the perfect meal requires an absolute originality of dishes.

Banchetti futuristi (banquets) were organized, where the principles of the Manifesto were applied. One of those banquets, on the theme of aviation (movement and speed were important themes in Futurism), included a dish called rombi d'ascesa, described as risotto all'arancia, a dish that would not raise eyebrows today, but I can imagine it did 80 years or so ago (rombo, in this context, is the noise made by an engine, and ascesa means ascent). I found a recipe for rombi d'ascesa, but the inclusion of roast beef juice made is unpalatable to me, so I decided to make a simple vegetarian risotto, using orange juice (succo d'arancia) as part of the liquid. I have made fruit-based risotto many times before, but never with oranges, so this was the inspiration I needed.

Interestingly enough, soon after reading the passage in Dibdin's book, I saw a reference to Futurist Cuisine in a New Yorker's article by Adam Gopnik on Le Fooding, another topic about which I knew nothing before my reading.

Back to Dibdin's Back to Bologna. It is always a conundrum for me to decide how much to reveal about the story, especially in the case of a mystery  novel. Maybe I will end with Bill Ott's words in Booklist: "This isn't the dark neo-noir with which the Zen series helped redefine European crime fiction (e.g., Blood Rain, 2002), but it's a plenty tasty blend of tragedy and comedy."

Now on to the risotto. The first time I made it, I used a blood orange (arancia sanguigna) and the result was nice. Note that the darker color of the risotto in the photo below compared with the one in the photo at the beginning is due to a combination of blood orange juice and a bit of red beet juice that was in the vegetable broth.

The second time, I used a navel orange and also decided to have scallops play the part of rombi. I know, scallops are not rhomboidal in shape, but I could have cut them that way. In any case, I pan-fried two scallops per person, divided in half crosswise, based on this recipe. Also, I flavored the scallops with orange juice instead of lemon juice and then decorated them with just a bit of orange zest.

Bring 2.5 cups of light vegetable stock (I make my own) to a simmer in a small pan. In a larger pan, warm up half to one tablespoon of olive oil, then add a small shallot, finely diced, and the leaves of two thyme sprigs. Cook on low until the shallot is translucent, then add a cup of Carnaroli or Arborio rice. Let the rice toast for one minute, then add a generous splash of white wine (not cold). Let the wine evaporate, while stirring the rice, then start adding the simmering broth, a ladleful at a time, and letting the rice absorb it. Keep the risotto at a nice simmer and stir it at regular intervals. Make sure it never gets dry. Add the juice of one orange (about 1/3 cup) towards the end of the cooking time. 

The rice should be soft and creamy, but with some body (slightly al dente). Check it after 15 minutes from the first addition of broth: if it feels a bit hard at the core, cook it a minute longer, then check again. Once ready, add some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, or 2 tablespoons of mascarpone, cream cheese or fresh chèvre. Stir until the cheese is incorporated, then let the risotto rest, covered, for a few minutes. Adjust the salt and plate. Add the scallops to each portion and decorate them with the reserved orange zest. I decorated the risotto with orange pulp removed from the juicer. A more intense flavor can be provided by orange peel, blanched and then cut into thin strips, which are also decorative (as you can see on this page). My husband does not like orange peel, so I did not explore this option.

This, as you may have guessed, is my contribution to the tenth edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have been co-hosting for some time, since a conversation on the food in Montalbano's novels gave us the idea of marrying literature and food in a blog event.

My portion of the roundup is here and Lisa's portion is here.

Hear me pronounce the words on the risotto all'arancia audio file [mp3] or go to the risotto all'arancia audio page for more listening options.

risotto ai porri

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of Melbourne Food Geek and Jess of Jess the baker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf. The recipes are available here.

I make risotto very often and I like to create variations on the theme, as it can be inferred from the recipes I have posted in the past: risotto ai lamponi (raspberry risotto), risotto alle more (blackberry risotto) and risotto integrale al pomodoro e salvia (whole-grain risotto with tomato and sage). The challenge for me this month was to find the time to make the chicken broth (brodo di pollo), as my schedule was quite hectic. I was resigned to excuse myself, when a sliver of time opened up and I booked it for broth-making.

To make my life a bit easier in terms of preparation, I bought several pieces of organic chicken instead of a whole bird (two whole legs, a bone-in breast, a back). I also bought a small piece of beef to add to the chicken, like my mother does to make her broth (brodo di carne). I had all the vegetables at home: onion, carrot, celery. To those, I added a piece of leek (I removed the leaves and used the top of the green part, leaving the white and pale green section for later use), a couple of sprigs of thyme, 6 or 7 stems of parsley (both herbs grow plentiful in my small garden: the photo below shows a detail of the thyme plant from which I harvest most often), two bay leaves and a 2-inch piece of lemon peel. I had never used the latter before, but saw it in the recipe chosen for the challenge and liked the idea. I did not use any other spice.

After I added the vegetables, I simmered the broth for a little over 1.5 hours, then removed the pieces of chicken and boiled the rest for another half hour. I turned off the heat, put the chicken meat back into the broth and let it cool a bit. Finally, I strained the broth, setting aside the meat and discarding skin, bones and vegetables. I will use the boiled meat for a dish that my mother used to prepare and that I loved as a kid (a story for another day). I divided the broth into two containers, let it cool completely, then put it in the fridge. The morning after, I removed the layer of fat from the surface. A set of engagements prevented me from making the risotto until the last minute (l'ultimo minuto), that is, yesterday.

I prepared risotto ai porri (leek risotto), because it's one of my favorite variations on the theme of risotto and I had the leek partially used to make the broth. After warming up the saucepan and warming up olive oil in it, I cooked the white and pale green part of the leek sliced into half-moons until it was soft. To the leek, I added the leaves from a couple of thyme sprigs. I used Carnaroli rice, which I favor over Arborio. I added white wine and then the simmering broth as usual (see recipes mentioned above for the details). Once the risotto was cooked, I added salt to taste and a couple of tablespoons of my homemade cream cheese then stirred with a bit of energy to distribute the cheese. I find that the flavor of the cheese pairs well with that of leeks and its creaminess rounds out the risotto well. After a few minutes of rest, I served the risotto. I usually don't measure ingredients when I make risotto, with the exception of rice (one cup) and broth (three cups). The guiding principle for me is that this is a rice dish, so the rice is the protagonist.

You will find a lot of personal interpretations of the beloved Italian dish, when you browse the creations of my fellow Daring Cooks. A special thank to Eleanor and Jess for the nice challenge.

Hear me pronounce the words on the risotto ai porri audio file [mp3] or go to the risotto ai porri audio page for more listening options.

la stagione dei lamponi

raspberry season

I love raspberries, so I was looking forward to the arrival of raspberry season. This week I had two baskets that I had to consume immediately, so I made risotto ai lamponi (raspberry risotto) and gelato alla vaniglia variegato al lampone (raspberry-marbled vanilla ice cream), both colorful dishes.

The risotto is quite pretty, besides being tasty. You will find my recipe in this post from last year. When I prepared the risotto last week, I had just made a batch of mascarpone and used two tablespoons of it to finish the risotto, instead of the fresh chèvre. This week, I used my  favorite, Cypress Grove's Purple Haze.

In the wake of the success of my recent gelato alla vaniglia variegato al rabarbaro (rhubarb-marbled vanilla ice cream), I decided to make the same vanilla ice cream (recipe in this post) and to marble it with raspberry purée. A couple of hours before churning the ice cream, marinate the raspberries with a teaspoon of agave nectar and half a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (as described in this post), then shortly before needing it, purée the raspberries and press through a strainer. It is important to spend a bit of time pressing all the pulp off the seeds, so the purée is nice and thick. I refrigerated the purée until ready to add it to the ice cream.

Once the gelato alla vaniglia was ready, I scooped it into a bowl and added the raspberry purée by spoonfuls, swirling it in with a spatula to create a marbling pattern ¹. As usual, I served the result to the head of my quality assurance department (a.k.a., my husband) and then we discussed the findings. The flavor of raspberries was probably a bit too prominent for a variegato, so next time I will try using less raspberry purée. I also want to try to fold the same amount of raspberry purée I used this time into the custard before churning it. I will run these tests soon and then report on the results.

The language corner. The four seasons (quattro stagioni) in Italian are: primavera (spring), estate (summer), autunno (fall), inverno (winter).

¹ I used a lidded plastic bowl, which then went into the freezer with the leftover ice cream, after I covered the surface of the ice cream with a square of wax paper. If, after the marbling, the ice cream had been too soft, I would have covered it with wax paper, put the lid on the container and allow it to spend a short time in the freezer until firmer, but still soft.

Hear me pronounce the words on the la stagione dei lamponi audio file [mp3] or go to the la stagione dei lamponi audio page for more listening options.

risotto integrale al pomodoro e salvia

whole-grain risotto with tomato and sage

Among the things (not all of them edible) that I brought back from Italy, there is a package of riso Carnaroli integrale (whole-grain Carnaroli rice) purchased at the farmers' market in Milan. The rice is grown in a farm (azienda agricola) not far from the city. The label describes the product as non trattato, which I interpret as meaning that no chemicals were used in growing it. The farm can be visited, and this is something I would like to do the next time I am in the area.

In the meantime, I used the riso integrale to make risotto. My plan was to use some pomodorini ciliegia (cherry tomatoes) and some of the salvia (sage) from my herb garden to season the risotto. I grow several kinds of sage and the one I used this time is the pineapple one, whose smell I love. When I got back home, some of the branches displayed pretty red flowers, which make hummingbirds very happy.

For this risotto, I used one cup of riso integrale. The package label suggests to soak the rice for 5-6 hours, which I did. Bring 2.5 cups of vegetable broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. In a bigger saucepan, warm up 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, then add to it 1/4 cup of onion, minced, plus several sage leaves, slivered, to taste. The quantity of sage depends not only on your taste, but also on the intensity of flavor of the kind you use and on the size of its leaves. As you can see from the photo, the leaves of my pineapple sage are fairly large. Cook for 5 minutes, then add 4 oz. of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on their size). After 3-4 minutes, add the rice, drained, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a generous splash of white wine (not cold) and stir. A minute later, start adding the simmering broth, one ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb it. Keep the risotto at a nice simmer and stir it at regular intervals. Make sure it never gets dry.

When you pour the last ladleful of broth, bring to simmer 1/2 cup of water and add it as needed until the rice is cooked (35 minutes in my case, consistent with the information on the label, which says 30-35 minutes). The texture will be different from risotto made with regular Arborio or Carnaroli, a bit chewy, instead of creamy: take that into account when tasting it.

As cheese accompaniment I chose 1/4 cup of myzithra, grated, whose flavor, I thought, would go well with those in the risotto. Ricotta salata would have been an alternative. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cheese of choice, adjust the salt, stir, then let the risotto rest, covered, for a few minutes while you gather the guests around the table.   

This is my submission for the (drumroll, please) third anniversary of Weekend Herb Blogging. My heartfelt congratulations to the creator of this popular blogging event, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. And many thanks as well, for being such an exceptional organizer. Here is the roundup of WHB #156.

After three years at the helm, Kalyn is passing the baton to Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once. Here is the introductory post from Haalo, where she explains what happens next.

Hear me pronounce the words on the risotto integrale al pomodoro e salvia audio file [mp3] or go to the risotto integrale al pomodoro e salvia audio page for more listening options.

risotto alle more

blackberry risotto

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

Another season of blackberry picking has started in my neighborhood and it found me ready to explore uncharted territory. After using more mostly to make sorbetto (sorbet), this year I have expanded my repertoire to include plum and blackberry spread (sweetened with honey), and risotto alle more.

About a month ago, I wrote about risotto ai lamponi and the combination of ingredients I devised for raspberries works also very well for blackberries. I actually tried varying a couple of components, but comparison tasting favored the shallot and thyme base. The one variation I hereby propose is the use of fresh mascarpone to finish off the risotto. For the previous dish I used crumbled fresh chèvre: at the time I had not yet discovered the delights of making mascarpone at home.

In summary, for risotto alle more I used the same ingredients in the same quantities as in the recipe for risotto ai lamponi with the following changes:

• 6 oz. of blackberries, instead of raspberries
• 2 tablespoons of mascarpone instead of 1 oz. of fresh chèvre, plus a decorative dollop over each portion, to be mixed into the risotto by the happy recipient.

Having recently started sharing photos unrelated to the subject at hand, I would like to continue with an image of Fern Canyon, a gorgeous place located in Redwood National Park, CA.

Hear me pronounce the words on the risotto alle more audio file [mp3] or go to the risotto alle more audio page for more listening options.

[jump to Comments]

Per i lettori italiani. Mettere 170 g di more in una ciotola e aggiungere un cucchiaino di nettare di agave e mezzo cucchiaino di aceto balsamico. Lasciare marinare per un paio d'ore, poi frullare, e infine passare al setaccio per rimuovere i semini. Mettere da parte.

Portare a ebollizione 600 ml di brodo vegetale leggero. In una pentola, scaldare mezzo cucchiaio di olio d'oliva e aggiungere uno scalogno piccolo tritato finemente e le foglioline di due rametti di timo. Cuocere a fuoco basso per qualche minuto, poi aggiungere 200 g di riso carnaroli o arborio. Tostare il riso per un minuto, poi aggiungere un generoso spruzzo di vino bianco (non freddo). Lasciare evaporare il vino, girando il riso, poi cominciare ad aggiungere il brodo bollente, un mestolo alla volta. Mantenere il riso bagnato col brodo e cuocere, girando ad intervalli regolari.

Assaggiare dopo 15 minuti dalla prima aggiunta di brodo e se il riso è ancora un po' duro al centro, lasciar cuocere un altro minuto, poi assaggiare di nuovo. A questo punto, tenere il risotto un po' più secco del solito. Aggiungere il purè di more e 2 cucchiai di mascarpone (fatto in casa). Mescolare finché il mascarpone è ben distribuito, poi far riposare il risotto, coperto, per alcuni minuti. Correggere il sale e servire, decorando ogni porzione con un po' di mascarpone.

Ho aggiunto la versione in italiano di questa ricetta per poterla poi inviare a La cucina a colori, raccolta di ricette di Elena di Gnam Gnam.

risotto ai lamponi

raspberry risotto

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

This being the year of savory strawberries for me, I made two versions of strawberry risotto, among other dishes. It was then just a matter of time before I tried to make risotto ai lamponi. I have actually already shown a preview of this recipe in the photo on the left, used in the recent post about Italian menu. Among other people, Christine of Christine Cooks tasted the very first rendition of my idea, which, I think, is a good one.

Risotto ai lamponi requires a bit more work than its strawberry cousin, because after puréeing the raspberries, I press them through a strainer to remove the seeds. The dish has a lovely color. In the hands of someone with better food presentation skills, I cannot imagine what decorations can be achieved. In my hands, don't expect visual fireworks: I usually ask my guests to close their eyes and concentrate on the flavor.

Place raspberries (about 6 oz) in a small bowl and add a teaspoon of agave nectar and half a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Let lamponi marinate for a couple of hours, then purée and press through a strainer. Set aside. Bring 2.5 cups of light vegetable broth to a simmer in a small pan. In a larger pan, warm up half to one tablespoon of olive oil, then add a small shallot, finely chopped, and the leaves of two thyme sprigs. Cook on low until the shallot is translucent, then add a cup of Carnaroli or Arborio rice. Let the rice toast for one minute, then add a generous splash of white wine (not cold). Let the wine evaporate, while stirring the rice, then start adding the simmering broth, a ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb it. Keep the risotto at a nice simmer and stir it at regular intervals. Make sure it never gets dry.

The rice should be soft and creamy, but with some body (slightly al dente). Check it after 15 minutes from the first addition of broth and, if it feels a bit hard at the core, cook it a minute longer, then check again. The risotto is a bit drier than usual at this point, but not for long: add the raspberry purée and 1 oz of fresh chèvre (my favorite is Cypress Grove 's Purple Haze), crumbled. Stir until the cheese is melted, then let the risotto rest, covered, for a few minutes while you gather the guests around the table. Adjust the salt. Serve, and enjoy.

Hear me pronounce the words on the risotto ai lamponi audio file [mp3] or go to the risotto ai lamponi audio page for more listening options.

[jump to Comments]

Per i lettori italiani. Mettere 170 g di lamponi in una ciotola e aggiungere un cucchiaino di nettare di agave e mezzo cucchiaino di aceto balsamico. Lasciare marinare per un paio d'ore, poi frullare, e infine passare al setaccio per rimuovere i semini. Mettere da parte.

Portare a ebollizione 600 ml di brodo vegetale leggero. In una pentola, scaldare mezzo cucchiaio di olio d'oliva e aggiungere uno scalogno piccolo tritato finemente e le foglioline di due rametti di timo. Cuocere a fuoco basso per qualche minuto, poi aggiungere 200 g di riso carnaroli o arborio. Tostare il riso per un minuto, poi aggiungere un generoso spruzzo di vino bianco (non freddo). Lasciare evaporare il vino, girando il riso, poi cominciare ad aggiungere il brodo bollente, un mestolo alla volta. Mantenere il riso bagnato col brodo e cuocere, girando ad intervalli regolari.

Assaggiare dopo 15 minuti dalla prima aggiunta di brodo e se il riso è ancora un po' duro al centro, lasciar cuocere un altro minuto, poi assaggiare di nuovo. A questo punto, tenere il risotto un po' più secco del solito. Aggiungere il purè di lamponi e 30 g di caprino a pezzetti. Mescolare finché il formaggio è ben distribuito, poi far riposare il risotto, coperto, per alcuni minuti. Correggere il sale e servire.

risotto al salto

When I was growing up, in my house eating riso (rice) was strongly associated with being sick. I will tell the story of white rice in another post. Here suffice to say that it was when I moved to Milan at age 21 that I was introduced to good risotto and its variations, among them the famous risotto alla Milanese, to which saffron imparts a lovely golden hue. My friends told me that making risotto was not difficult and I believed them. However, I was not a cook at the time, so I could not verify their claims. My realization of the potential of risotto as a highly versatile dish came years later, when I took up cooking. I then remembered my friends' claims and approached risotto without the awe that makes too many people almost afraid of it. I found myself in agreement with them: making risotto is not difficult.

I have written about risotto and about my way of making it elsewhere. Here I will offer a suggestion for using leftovers of whatever wonderful risotto you will make. The dish is called risotto al salto (where salto means jump, a reference that will become clear soon). When I prepare risotto I usually make what I consider enough for however many people I am planning to feed, but it usually happens that I have a portion left, which the day after I use to make risotto al salto. I generously spray a small frying pan with olive oil. This is because I grew up in olive oil country. In northern Italy people would put a bit of butter in the pan. Whatever ingredient you choose, warm up the pan and make sure that it is coated with olive oil or butter, then add the risotto, spread it and pat it to form a small frittata. Let the risotto warm up on low heat until a golden crust forms on the bottom surface, then make it jump up and land on the other side: that is why it is called al salto.

There is no need to worry: I meant that metaphorically. The idea is that somehow you need to get the top surface to become the bottom one and vice versa. This is not too difficult if you use just one portion of risotto to begin with: a wide spatula may be enough to hold the risotto and then it is a matter of fearlessness and steadiness to perform the sleight of hand that flips the risotto. Alternatively, you can  place a plate over the risotto and flip the pan so that the bottom surface comes out on top and then you can ease the risotto back in the pan. Whatever the chosen method, let the pale side (now at the bottom) become golden as well and then place the risotto on a plate: serve immediately and enjoy hot.

If you have more than one serving of leftover risotto, the advice is to make one serving of risotto al salto at a time. The risotto al salto of which the photo shows a piece was bigger than I had ever made before and too big to flip without running a high risk of catastrophic failure, so I will not repeat the experiment, though it came out all right. The base risotto was leeks and zucchini (porri e zucchine), the latter from my little garden. In this case I used a piece of leek instead of the customary onion for the initial soffritto, then added sliced zucchini. However, I often make risotto with just leeks: it is one of my favorite.

This is my entry for the Risotto Relay event organized by Sathy & Liz from The Baker & The Curry Maker (a great combination, if you ask me, and in fact they are great friends). Here is the rundown. 

Hear me pronounce the words on the risotto al salto audio file [mp3] or go to the risotto al salto audio page for more listening options.