Friday, December 07, 2007

The side dish...

Risotto!
Prior to last fall, I'd never had nor heard of risotto (hangs Italian head in shame). The boyfriend and I went to a local bed and breakfast where we were served a multi-course dinner that included risotto. Yum! Unfortunately, arborio rice is not sold nearby (nor is saffron) - so it took me a while to acquire some. Then well, time flies, recipes go on the figurative back burner and I never did make it. That, and I was under the impression that it was a difficult dish to make. Ha! It so is not. All it involves is just a bunch of stirring. That's it. So if you've never made risotto out of fear of difficulty--fear no more and try it! I've made it twice now and I am an impatient, low-talent cook! If you're the type that needs more photos, check out this site--it shows step-by-step photos (although you'll see I skip at least one step and I do not use wine).


Risotto Alla Milanese (Double Batch)

10 cups (80 oz or 2 1/2 boxes) chicken broth
1/2 tsp saffron powder
6T butter + 2T
2 pkg (4 cups) arborio rice
6-9 oz. (1 wedge) parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
Black or white pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan or pot, melt the butter on medium heat until butter becomes foaming. Add the rice and stir for about 3 minutes, until rice is well coated.

Add 1 cup of broth to the rice, constantly stirring to prevent the rice from sticking. When the rice begins absorbing the liquid, add more broth. Hint: Keep the burner's heat on medium, not high. High heat will cause the broth to evaporate more quickly and not be soaked into the rice. Repeat this step of adding broth and stirring, keeping the rice at the consistency of a dense paste (~2 minutes per cup). About midway through the amount of broth, add the saffron and pepper with one of the broth additions. Continue the process until all of the broth is gone. Add the 2T butter and the freshly shredded cheese and stir to combine fully. Serve immediately.

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