Stirring comeback
Risotto is the kind of dish that can make you happy twice.
One of those times arrives, of course, when you sit down at the table and dig into a steaming, creamy, aromatic bowl.
Yet the other time arrives earlier when you are engaging in what might be called Stir Therapy – standing over a stove and stirring, gently stirring, for 20 minutes. This can be an immensely soothing and therapeutic act, for those of us who possess the stirring impulse. (It doesn’t hurt that we’re probably holding a glass of wine with our other hand, either.)
Risotto, the classic Italian rice dish, is absurdly simple in its essence. It’s nothing more than rice, cooked to a creamy texture, with assorted flavorings and chunks of proteins added. What makes it special is the kind of rice used – a roundish kind of rice called Arborio that releases its starches during that long stir session. The result is a texture creamier than Grandma’s oatmeal, and yet each grain retains a firm, al dente character.
And what transforms it into art is the Italian genius for adding just the right combinations of flavors – sometimes mushrooms, sometimes saffron, sometimes shrimp and sometimes even pumpkin and hazelnuts (see inside).
Risotto has long taken a back seat to pasta in America, yet that began to change in 1996 because, of all things, a movie. The independent film “Big Night,” featured Tony Shalhoub as an Italian restaurant chef – a kind of Raphael of risotto – who bemoaned the fact that Americans prefer spaghetti and meatballs to the subtleties of risotto. (See inside for the Risotto with Shrimp recipe from that movie).
That movie sparked a risotto revival. Ever since, more and more restaurants and home cooks have discovered the beauties of this satisfying dish.
Here are a few things to know when making your own risotto:
• Always use Arborio rice, which is available in the rice section of most supermarkets.
• Lightly toast the uncooked rice in butter or olive oil for a few minutes for enhanced flavor.
• Use a chicken or vegetable stock for the liquid, and make sure you have it simmering in a separate pot so it stays hot as you add it slowly to the rice.
• Add the stock one ladleful at a time (about ½ cup or so). Stir constantly until most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice and then add another ladleful. Repeat until the stock is gone. Most recipes say this takes around 20 minutes, but it can take longer. Don’t rush it.
• You can also make a decent risotto in a streamlined manner, by putting the rice and stock in a pressure cooker and cooking for seven minutes. It’s good for making large amounts for company, but you won’t be getting any Stir Therapy that way.
• Add the Parmesan cheese at the end, after you have taken the rice off the heat.
• Make enough to have leftovers. For a special treat, use the leftovers for Fried Risotto – a pan-fried pancake of risotto in a little bit of olive oil. Add an egg as a binder if you wish. This works especially well with Risotto Milanese (below).
Here are some risotto recipes we tested with good results:
Milanese Risotto
Adapted from a recipe in “The Silver Spoon,” (Phaidon Press, 2005)
About 6½ cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons of butter, or substitute 4 tablespoons of olive oil, or a combination
1 small onion chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
½ teaspoon saffron threads
Salt, to taste
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 additional tablespoons butter, optional
Bring the stock to a gentle boil. Heat 4 tablespoons of butter or oil in another pan and add onion. Cook over low heat for five minutes until softened. Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are coated. Add a ladleful of hot stock and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take 18-20 minutes. Before adding the final ladleful of stock, stir the saffron threads into it. When the rice is tender, season with salt to taste, then remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of butter (if using) and serve.
Yield: 4 generous servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 528 calories, 21 grams fat (13 grams saturated, 37 percent fat calories), 20 grams protein, 62 grams carbohydrate, 56 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 744 milligrams sodium.
Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
3½ cups hot vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
In a medium saucepan, heat two tablespoons of oil and add mushrooms, salt and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat for five minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl.
Add two tablespoons of oil to saucepan and then add onion; sauté for five minutes or until soft. Add garlic and rice and stir for two minutes until coated and just beginning to toast. Add wine and stir until wine is absorbed.
Add hot pepper sauce and a cup of hot stock and stir until stock is absorbed. Keep adding a ladleful of stock whenever the liquid becomes absorbed, stirring constantly (about 20 minutes). When all of the stock has been used, add mushrooms and their liquid and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and Parmesan. Serve with more grated Parmesan.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 302 calories, 12.8 grams fat (3.4 grams saturated, 38 percent fat calories), 9 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 8.8 milligrams cholesterol, 2.4 grams dietary fiber, 272 milligrams sodium.
Pumpkin Hazelnut Sage Risotto
Adapted from a recipe by Ben Wendling, of Spokane
About 3¼ cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup roasted and coarsely chopped hazelnuts
½ pound bacon, chopped, fried and drained on paper towels
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
8 cups chicken broth
¾ cup finely grated pecorino cheese (or substitute Parmesan)
8 to 10 sage leaves, finely chopped
Chop most of the fresh pumpkin or butternut squash into ¼-inch cubes, discarding the peels, for a total of about 2½ cups. Add ground pepper to taste. Leave several pieces, about ¾ cup total, in larger chunks to use for grating later. Roast all of the squash or pumpkin in oven for approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees. At the same time, roast hazelnuts until golden. Cut bacon into squares and fry until crisp, removing bacon grease in the process. Meanwhile, chop onion and press garlic.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter. Add onions and garlic and sauté until clear. Add rice and toast until lightly brown. Add white wine and stir, then add the chicken broth in ½-cup increments while constantly stirring the rice. When all of the broth has been added (about 20 minutes), take the large pieces of roasted pumpkin or squash and grate them finely into the rice. The grated pumpkin will have a pureed texture and will give the rice mixture an orange tint. Continue to stir until the texture of the rice is creamy. Then stir in the roasted chopped hazelnuts, the grated pecorino, the chopped sage and the roasted chopped pumpkin or squash cubes. Don’t stir too vigorously at this point; the cubes should stay intact. Transfer to a large serving dish and serve immediately.
Yield: 8 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 502 calories, 31 grams fat (6.8 grams saturated fat, 54 percent fat calories), 16 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrate, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 3.8 grams dietary fiber, 449 milligrams sodium.
Risotto with Shrimp (Risotto Con Gamberetti)
Adapted from a recipe by Stanley and Joan Tucci, used in “Big Night”
For the broth:
Shells from 1 pound of medium shrimp
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley
5 cups water
Salt, to taste
For the shrimp:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled
For the risotto:
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 small tomato, diced
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Put the shells from 1 pound shrimp in a large saucepan. Add onion, carrots, celery, parsley, water and salt to taste. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, strain and discard shells and vegetables. Set broth aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Sauté 1 clove garlic until lightly cooked and add 1 pound medium shrimp and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until pink. Set aside.
For the risotto, in a large pot, add olive oil, onion and garlic and sauté until wilted, not browned. Add rice and stir to coat. Add one cup of broth. Cook and stir frequently until rice has absorbed liquid. Add tomato and wine. Continue cooking and stirring until rice has absorbed liquid. Add broth one ladleful at a time, waiting to add each new ladle until broth is absorbed. After you have added approximately 3 cups of broth (about 18-20 minutes), add the shrimp. Add more broth if needed. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 470 calories, 21 grams fat (4 grams saturated, 41 percent fat calories), 29 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 177 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 450 milligrams sodium.