Risotto – Grow. Cook. Eat.

July 18, 2011

Fava Beans (Mock Risotto with Favas and Basil)

So many vegetable conjure up negative emotions – whether it’s Swiss Chard, kohlrabi or beets… people just won’t try this things no matter how hard you try to convince them they’ll like them when prepared properly and well.

For me it’s fava beans. I actually like the taste, but they are (in my opinion) too labor intensive to be worth the effort. Unlike other shell beans, favas require a double-shell…. That is, the beans need to be removed from the pods. Then the beans are boiled to remove the husk off them. Feh.

But when I went to the farmers market last week, I became intrigued. One of the employees of Drumlin Farms was walking around with a long fava bean pod that had black pock marks. She told me, the pock are a sign of properly grown and delicious beans. So I bought a pound.

The extra step of removing the husk added about 10 minutes and an additional pot to the process. Not a big deal when serving 2 people for dinner, but I wouldn’t do this for a large dinner party. And when I go out for dinner I will savor fresh fava beans even more.

Mock Risotto with Fresh Favas and Basil
I had some leftover brown rice in the fridge which, when I started to reheat, released its starches and became creamy. I decided to mix in the fresh favas with some bacon and basil and pretend it was risotto.

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup shelled fava beans
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup basil leaves cut into long strips
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1.    In a large skillet, cook the cook bacon until it releases its fat and crisp. Remove from pan.
2.    To the bacon pan, add the favas and ½ cup of water. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the brown rice and continue cooking until heated through.
3.    When rice is heated, mix in butter, bacon and basil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

February 22, 2010

Risotto Redux

While we’re on the topic of risotto….

Risotto is one of those exceedingly flexible dishes. Now, I haven’t read Ratio by Michael Ruhlman, but I’m guessing that risotto would be in there.

The basics are simple, the adaptations are infinite. Let me rewrite the ingredient list a little differently:

3/4 cup arborio rice
½ cup aromatics
1/4 cup alcohol
3 cups liquid
1/3 cup grated or crumbled cheese
4 tbs. whole butter
garnish
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Depending on the “garnish” you put in your rice, whether it’s shrimp, mushrooms or duck confit, you can adapt the other ingredients to fit. For example, the aromatics can be onions, shallots, garlic or any combination. The alcohol could be cognac (for shrimp), sherry (for mushrooms) or red wine for beets. The cheese could be Parmesan, goat or smoked Gouda. And for the liquid – any combination of water, chicken, lobster of vegetable stock. Heck, you could use apple juice if you wanted…. Though I wouldn’t recommend it.

Here are some ideas:

February 20, 2010

Shaken, Not Stirred (Recipe: Risotto)

Conventional wisdom dictates that risotto should be stirred continuously while the rice is cooking.

But Lydia Shire is not a conventional chef. As a line cook at Biba, she taught me how to cook in her style… risotto, for example, was cooked in a large, 3 gallon rondeau pan. The large surface area allowed for even cooking, and easy pan-shaking. Lydia did not stir her risotto; rather she’d shake the pan occasionally just to make sure it wasn’t sticking on the bottom. After cooking the risotto ¾ of the way, it was spread out on sheet trays to cool quickly (and prevent over cooking). During dinner service, we (the line cooks) would finish the risotto by stirring in butter and cheese. The final stirring was just enough to coax out the creaminess while keeping the grains of rice separate.

I didn’t think much of this technique, one way or the other… until I was cooking with my brother-in-law. As we divvied up the cooking responsibilities for dinner one night, he offered to take on the risotto – an old friend had taught him how to make it, and he felt confident in his technique. I watched him stir and stir the risotto, just as his friend had taught him, slowly adding hot liquid. I didn’t question his technique – though different than mine, I knew this was traditional.

But as we sat down for dinner that evening, the risotto seized up into a glomy mound. All that stirring produced too much “creaminess” to the point of starchiness that glued the rice grains together.

To my taste, I prefer shaken, not stirred, risotto. And now I know why.

Risotto

Leftover duck confit makes a wonderful additional to risotto.

3/4 cup arborio rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup parmesan
4 tbs. whole butter
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Keep hot while making the risotto.

2. Heat large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add butter. When it is melted, add shallots, and sweat for 2 minutes. Add rice, stirring to ensure each grain is coated in butter.

3. Deglaze with wine. When the rice has absorbed the wine, add 1/3 of the liquid. Gently stir, to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 of remaining liquid. Cook rice, uncovered and without stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add remaining liquid and continue cooking in the same method.

4. Test risotto to ensure that it is cooked almost completely. If not add more hot water, and continue cooking. Otherwise, season with salt and pepper. Stir in parmesan and butter. Adjust seasoning with fresh lemon juice, if desired.

March 30, 2009

Harbinger of Spring

My dad grew up in the forties and fifties in a small town in western Pennsylvania. Fish came frozen and breaded, and vegetables were canned. When he went to graduate school in Manhattan, he discovered all sorts of new foods. One of them was during a date to a fine French restaurant. His girlfriend ordered artichokes and he followed along. As he watched her eat, pulling back the leaves and daintily nibbling the heart away from the leaves with her teeth , he thought, "This is how a proper woman eats artichokes, surely real men eat the whole leaf." Much to his discomfort, he discovered that real men also eat artichokes by nibbling off the heart from the leaves.

Artichokes grow in warm climates with cool nights: the quintessential spring climate of their native Mediterranean. I've read that they can grow in New England too, but require starting the seeds indoors and full sun when planted outside. Given my ability to start seeds inside and the conditions of my yard, I will leave the growing to others, and purchase them at my favorite green grocer. Look for tightly closed globes — as the leaves start to open the hearts turn bitter and tough.

I typically braise artichokes in olive oil. This tenderizes the heart as well as the inner leaves, and takes away the tart after taste that makes artichokes so hard to pair with wine. Once braised, I'll roast them for a crispy exterior, top them on pizza with St. Andre cheese or mix them in with risotto. This recipe uses a lot of anchovies, which is great if you have an abundance.

Braised artichokes

4 artichokes
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup anchovies
1/2 cup garlic
1/2 cup capers
1/2 cup parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Clean artichokes by cutting back tough outer leaves and trimming stem back to the white part. Cut artichokes in half and scoop out the fuzzy choke.

2. In food processor, gently puree anchovies, garlic, capers and parsley.

3. Bring olive oil to a boil in an oven proof pot with caper mixture. Add artichokes and water. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until leaves are tender.