Basic Risotto

I love risotto.  Different kinds, different flavors, different things added… but nothing beats a basic risotto, the foundation that all “fancier” risottos start with.  There are different ways to make basic risotto, depending on the recipe and the chef, so whichever one you choose depends on your taste and simply what you like best.  I like to try different ones just to satisfy my curiosity.

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Ingredients:

5 to 7 cups of tasty meat or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups (about 10 ounces) fairly fine chopped onion
I cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups short-grain Italian rice, Arborio or Canaroli
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
1½ cups freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for the table
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Pour the stock into a large pot, and bring it almost to a boil. Cover, and keep it hot over very low heat, on a burner close to the risotto pan.

Put the oil, onions, shallots, and half of the salt in a large pan, and set over medium heat. Cook the onions slowly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, as they sweat, soften, and gradually take on a golden color, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ladle ½ cup of the hot stock into the onions, stir well, and continue to cook over low to medium heat for another 5 to 10 minutes, by which time the onions should be completely golden nd glistening and the stock will have evaporated.

When the onions are completely devoid of stock, add the rice all at once, raise the heat to medium, and stir constantly. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the rice grains have been toasted, but do not allow them to scorch or color.

Pour in the wine all at once, and cook with the rice for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Stir constantly all around the pan until the liquid has been absorbed. Have the hot stock close by, and be ready to add it with a ladle or measuring cup.

For the first addition, ladle in 1½ to 2 cups of the very hot stock, enough to barely cover the ride; stir it in continuously, all around the pan. Add remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and stir well. As the initial portion of stock absorbs, slowly add a ladle or two of the hot stock and stir continuously to make sure the rice cooks evenly. Repeat this process until you’ve added at least 5 cups of the very hot chicken stock. Lower the heat, if necessary, to maintain a very gentle perking.

After the addition of at least 5 cups of stock, you can taste and gauge the degree of doneness of the rice kernels and the fluidity of the creamy suspension. Whenever you find the rice grains pleasantly al dente and the risotto creamy, you can choose to stop cooking. Or you may incorporate more stock, up to about 7 cups total, if you want a softer, looser risotto. When you are satisfied, turn off the heat.

Stir frequently at first, and then constantly as the risotto thickens. Make sure the spoon is reaching into all the corners of the pan, so everything is constantly being stirred. When all the stock has been absorbed, the risotto is harder to stir (the bubbling sounds thicker, too), and the pan bottom is visible, ladle in another cup of stock. (If you are flavoring your risotto with a sauce, stir it in t this point.) Keep track of how much liquid you have added.

Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Stir in grated cheese and freshly ground pepper to taste, whisking with a wooden spoon. When it’s nice and creamy, serve the risotto immediately in heated bowls, with more grated cheese at the table.

Saffron Risotto

Appetites, A Cookbook – Anthony Bourdain

What can I say about risotto.  To sum it up in one word…  YUM.  Made properly, it’s amazing.  But it requires a lot of undivided attention and constant ministration.  If you’re not prepared to dedicate 40-60 minutes (depending on the amount you’re making) to standing in front of the stove, adding broth, and stirring, don’t make risotto.  But if you can find the dedication and commitment, then you’ll be rewarded with the creamiest, most amazing creation ever, on the planet.  Risotto made properly is…  perfection.  And yes, I love me a good risotto.  It can be served as both a main entree or a side dish.  That choice is left to the chef.  😊

This dish is a basic risotto at its simplest and best.  Nothing added, nothing fancy about it,  no extras added.  Just the foundation of which many variations were created.  But, as much as I love many of the variations, the simplest will always be the best.  

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Ingredients:
1½ quarts chicken stock
Generous pinch of saffron threads
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1½ cups carnaroli rice
½ cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt to taste

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Pour half the stock into a small, heavy-bottomed pot and add the saffron threads.  Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat to begin to infuse the stock with the saffron.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat and add the onion. Stir well with a wooden spoon to coat with the oil and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.  Store in the rice, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the rice smells slightly toasty.  Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the wine.  Store regularly until the wine has been absorbed by the rice and the sharp alcohol smell has cooked off.

Add the saffron infused stock, a ladleful or two at a time, stirring regularly and adding more as each batch becomes absorbed.  Once all of the saffron stock has been added, heat up the remaining stock using the same pot; continue to add that stock to the rice, stirring with each addition.  Check the rice for doneness:  It should be tender and cooked through, but not mushy.  The mixture as a whole should be runny enough to cover the bottom of a bowl; add more stock as necessary so that the risotto doesn’t sit up in a stiff lump.

Beat the butter and cheese into the hot rice mixture with the wooden spoon.  Your goal is to incorporate some air into the mixture, to lighten the texture.  Taste and season with salt.  Serve immediately.

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Saffron and Clam Risotto

Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

All risotto recipes begin with a basic risotto and then you can customize it to add whatever you want to spice it up, or add additional ingredients, flavors, etc.  In the case of this particular recipe, it’s saffron and clams.

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Ingredients for Basic Risotto:
4½ cups hot chicken stock, vegetable stock, or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about ¾ cup)
1 medium leek, white parts only, trimmed, cleaned and chopped (about 1 cup)
4 to 6 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts chopped separately
2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

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Pour the stock into a 2-quart saucepan and keep it hot over low heat.  (The texture of a properly cooked risotto is creamy, with each grain of rice separate and al dente.  To achieve that, you are actually coaxing the starch gently out of the grains of rice.  Adding cold stock to the risotto may cause the surfaces of the tie grains to  “seize up” and seal in the starch, instead of releasing it into the liquid.)

Heat the olive oil in a wide 3- to 4-quart braising pan over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the leek and the white parts of the scallions and cook, stirring, until the onion is golden, about 6 minutes.  Adjust the heat under the pan as the onions brown so that it cooks slowly with gentle bubbling.

Stir in the rice and continue stirring until the grains are coated with oil and “toasted”
—the edges become translucent— 1 to 2 minutes.  Pour in the wine and let it boil, stirring the rice, until evaporated.  (Since the rice kernel is 98% starch, the acidity in the wine balances and imparts flavor to the rice kernel.)

Season the rice lightly with salt and ladle enough of the hot stock into the pan to barely cover the rice.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stock is at a lively simmer.  Cook, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed and you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir.  Continue cooking, pouring in the remaining hot stock in small batches — each addition should be just enough to completely moisten the rice — and cook until each batch of stock has been absorbed.  Stir constantly until the rice mixture is creamy, but al dente; this will take 16 to 20 minutes from the time the wine was added.  When in doubt, undercook — risotto continues to cook, even after it is removed from the heat.

Adjust the level of heat throughout cooking so the rice is simmering very gently.  The total amount of stock you use may vary for several reasons:  the type of rice you are using, the shape and size of the pan, and the desired texture of the finished risotto which can be quite dense, or soft and runny, depending on your personal taste.  If you like a creamier risotto — called all’onda, or “wavelike” in Italian — stir in a little more stock once the rice is al dente, but do not cook the rice any further.  For a denser risotto, keep the rice over the heat and cook until the last addition of stock has been almost entirely absorbed by the rice.  There is a general rule that risotto prepared with meats, game, and mushrooms is more dense, but ultimately it depends on your taste and preference.

Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the b utter and green parts of the scallion until the butter is completely melted. Stir in half of the grated cheese, taste the risotto, and add salt, if necessary, and pepper.  Always ladle risotto into warm, shallow bowls and serve immediately after finishing.  Either top each serving with some of the remaining grated cheese or pass the cheese separately.

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Add a generous pinch of saffron threads to the stock before placing it over the heat.  Scrub 12 to 16 hard-shell clams — the smaller the better — such as littlenecks, Manila, or butter claims, the smaller the better.  Tuck the clams into the rice about 5 to 6 minutes after the first addition of stock, and continue as described in the basic risotto recipe.

Seafood Risotto

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

It’s no secret that I love seafood.  So any recipe that includes seafood and I’m all in.  Cooking seafood can be a little tricky.  Not long enough and it’s still raw, cook it a minute too long and it becomes rubbery.  In addition to which, when cooking seafood, it’s not something that you can stir and walk away from.  It needs constant attention. But practice makes perfect, and the end result will be absolutely delicious.

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
10 clams, or one 7 1/2 oz can minced clams*
2 cups fish or shelfish stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 mussels*
1/2 cup calamari, bodies and tentacles, sliced
1 teaspoon butter
12 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup  dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
A dash of red pepper flakes**
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

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1. Drain the tomatoes and – if using canned clams – the clams, reserve all liquid, and set the clams aside.  Combine the tomato juice and clam juice (if you have it) in a large measuring cup, then add enough stock to make 3 cups of liquid.
2. Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan and cook the clams and mussels over medium heat until all the shells have opened (for a faster result, cover with a lid).  Discard any clams or mussels that have not opened, then add the calamari and remove from heat.
3. Put the butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onions and garlic over medium heat until the onions are tender but not brown.  Add the rice, wine, salt, thyme, and red pepper flakes and reduce, stirring often, until the white wine has disappeared.
4. Start adding the stock, one ladle at a time, just enough to cover the rice.  As the stock is absorbed and the rice cooks, site in more stock, each time adding just enough to cover the rice.  Stir often, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Once you have added all the stock and the rice is tender, remove from heat and stir in all the seafood.  Cover and let stand for 2 minutes.
6. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.

 

* 10 clams and 8 mussels?  Seriously?  I want to be able to enjoy the clams and mussels, not give the illusion of clams and mussels.  So I up the ante and always put in a nice, healthy dose of clams and mussels.  I don’t have a specific amount, but I put in as many as the recipe can handle.  Also, when it comes to clams, I use fresh and canned.  Can’t ever have enough clams.

** A lot of recipes call for red pepper flakes to give the dish a little kick.  But I think that’s a judgment call as to whether or not you want to include them.  Sometimes you’re in the mood for spicy, sometimes you’re not.  You can decide as you prepare the dish.

Saffron Risotto

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

Saffron is one of my favorite spices to cook with.  It’s a little on the expensive side, but worth every penny with the flavor it provides.  Having said that, I will go on to say that I love risotto.  I usually make this particular saffron risotto as a side dish because it compliments any protein served with it.

Usually, risotto requires a lot of attention and constant stirring.  This particular recipe is the exception to the rule which makes it creamier and allows it to stand up to whatever protein is served with it.

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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup pancetta, diced
3 cups chicken or beef stock
1 teaspoon saffron
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
A dash of pepper

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1. In a medium saucepan, cook the onion and the pancetta in the butter over medium heat until the onion is tender but not brown.  Stir in the stock, saffron, rice, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Continue cooking for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.  Remove from heat.  Let stand, covered, for 5-8 minutes.  The rice should be tender but still slightly firm, and the mixture should be creamy.  If necessary, store in a little water to reach the desired consistency.
3. Serve immediately.