Risotto is something that I had always stayed away from cooking. Mainly for two reasons : #1. I am not a huge fan of rice and # 2 cooking it seemed complicated and I was intimidated (okay, so that is the real reason….). Over time, it seemed that Risotto was popping up on more and more restaurant menus and Giada was always busy whipping up a different version on the Food Network. Slowly, the dish became harder for me to avoid; and one winter day while trying to figure out how to use a bunch of frozen peas, I came across a recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook and I found inspiration. So for the first time, I tried cooking risotto and was not disappointed, the risotto turned out creamy and delicious, with a great depth of flavor. That first time making it I served it alongside salmon but quickly discovered I was getting ahead of myself, because risotto does not leave a lot of room for multitasking. That is probably where my initial fear of risotto stemmed from, because you must give the dish your undivided attention , and you can’t set limits on the cooking time, because it will only be ready when it’s ready. Not being very blessed in the patience department and having the inability to stand still, this aspect of the dish was frustrating to me, even if this coddling produced such great results. Then one evening after a particularly stressful day, while standing there stirring the Arborio over and over, I realized that the process was actually relaxing. I don’t know if it was the fact that the risotto requiring all my attention blocked out all other worries from my brain; or just the repetitive motions of stirring that calmed me, but after that first bite of creamy goodness, I knew that this risotto was truly therapeutic.
After trying out several different risotto recipes, I still found the Barefoot Contessa’s to be my favorite, especially this time of year, with all the spring flavors. I have changed it a bit, cutting out the mascarpone cheese (not because it doesn’t taste good, but it cuts the fat & cholesterol, and I didn’t really miss it, plus, the Contessa is great but I really don‘t want to be as wide as her in 30 years!), cutting out the fennel , and the way she cooks the veggies…(ok, I changed a lot, so if you want to cook hers, then look it up online or buy her book…)
The Arborio rice needed to make risotto used to be hard to find but now can be found at most
grocery stores, my preferred brand is Trader Joe‘s…..
This recipe serves 4.
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks chopped. white and pale green parts
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
¾ cup dry white wine ( Pinot Grigio , Sauvignon Blanc)
4 cups chicken stock
2 pounds asparagus, (fairly thin) trimmed to 1 ½ inch lengths
10-12 oz frozen peas, defrosted
Fresh zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Heat olive oil and butter in large saucepan over med heat. Add leeks & sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat. Add the white wine, and simmer, stirring constantly, until wine is absorbed. Add the chicken stock by the cupfuls, stirring constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process will probably take you about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place trimmed asparagus on baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 6 minutes and remove from oven. Set aside. Continue stirring rice mixture constantly. ( At this point, pour yourself a glass of that wine!!) When you are down to your last cup of chicken broth, add peas, roasted asparagus, lemon zest , salt and pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock until the rice is tender. (But not mushy!!!) Add lemon juice. Turn off heat, add parmesan cheese. Season to taste with S & P. Grate some extra parmesan over the top and serve. Curl up on the couch with a bowlful and the rest of that bottle!
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks chopped. white and pale green parts
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
¾ cup dry white wine ( Pinot Grigio , Sauvignon Blanc)
4 cups chicken stock
2 pounds asparagus, (fairly thin) trimmed to 1 ½ inch lengths
10-12 oz frozen peas, defrosted
Fresh zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Heat olive oil and butter in large saucepan over med heat. Add leeks & sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat. Add the white wine, and simmer, stirring constantly, until wine is absorbed. Add the chicken stock by the cupfuls, stirring constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process will probably take you about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place trimmed asparagus on baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 6 minutes and remove from oven. Set aside. Continue stirring rice mixture constantly. ( At this point, pour yourself a glass of that wine!!) When you are down to your last cup of chicken broth, add peas, roasted asparagus, lemon zest , salt and pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock until the rice is tender. (But not mushy!!!) Add lemon juice. Turn off heat, add parmesan cheese. Season to taste with S & P. Grate some extra parmesan over the top and serve. Curl up on the couch with a bowlful and the rest of that bottle!
Note: Depending on your stovetop, the heat may need to be turned past medium to a higher cooking temperature for the rice to absorb the liquid.
Note: One time I had forgot to buy lemons, but I had grapefruit, so I used that instead of the lemon and it still turned out great!
Lyndie, Have you tried the Debbie Meyer green bags to keep your produce in? They are absolutely great! No more wimpy celery! Just make sure everything is dry when putting it into the bag and carrots, celery, bananas, tomatoes, will keep longer and remain fresh.
ReplyDeleteLonda
No, I haven't! Where do you get them?
ReplyDelete