I’ve had a craving. For the past few days. For risotto.
Now even though I give into my cravings, I am also not crazy. It has been feeling like 100 degrees over the last week, and there is no way I would subject myself to slaving over a hot stove under those conditions.
So my craving has gone…unsatiated. Until last night that is. Finally, it cooled off enough so that I could take the heat in the kitchen.
Before my trip to Italy, I had never even tried risotto. {Yes, I live under a rock. And thank you for asking.} My first experience with the velvety goodness was at the Bar al Teatro near the La Fenice Theater in Venice. We waited an eternity, doled out a small fortune and ooohhhed and aaahhhed over every creamy bite.
So armed with our ingredients, last night we started cooking. Chris was my sous-chef and in true Hells Kitchen fashion, I as the chef repeatedly called him “Donkey” and he responded with his loudest and most forceful ‘Yes Chef!’
I threw around all the other expletives Ramsey uses, my favorite from last weeks episode being, “F#@* me senseless!” Our entire repertoire was done in our best Cockney accents to boot. It was bloody fun. A jolly good time, really. A good way to make the time pass, yea?
Instead of providing you a recipe, I will instead give you some pointers on making risotto. Everyone has a risotto recipe and quite frankly, I rarely use one anymore. I’d like to think it is because I have now become an accomplished member of the culinary community who no longer needs one, but it probably boils down to the fact that I am just too lazy.
Other than the basics like arborio rice, butter, olive oil, shallot, white wine and stock…the rest is up to you. Last night, based on what was in the house, to our risotto I added peas, shrimp, parmesan cheese, parsley and tomato paste (just because when using shrimp I like to add some pinky color).
Here is the basic technique
Heat a small pot of the stock you are using (we use vegetable stock because of the vegetarian in the house) and keep it simmering on the burner. Set up a large saucepan/skillet on the opposite burner. Heat oil and butter in the pan, add thinly sliced shallot, saute until soft. Add the dry arborio rice, stir to coat. Add the white wine. When the liquid is cooked off, you will add one ladle full of stock at a time, stir, stir, stir until the liquid is absorbed.
Then add another ladle full of stock..and so on….and so on, until the rice is done.
Here are just a few tips on making risotto
- Leave yourself plenty of time. Some recipes say it will cook for 20-25 minutes. Sometimes mine takes up to 45 minutes
- Be patient
- Don’t walk away! You must stir your rice constantly with a wooden spoon.
- When you add the stock, don’t add room temperature or cold stock. It must be simmering on the stove.
- If you run out of stock, use simmering water
- Don’t add all of your stock at once. Add it one ladle at a time and wait until it is completely absorbed before adding another ladle full. You want the rice to release its starch little by little, that’s how it gets its creamy texture
- Just cook until al dente, sometimes you may use all the stock the recipe calls for and sometimes you may use less, just cook until the rice is done and don’t worry about the rest.
- If adding tomato paste, dissolve it into the wine first and then pour into the pan. That way you won’t have clumps of tomato paste to bite into.
- For the best risotto, only use starchy rice like arborio or carnaroli – no short or long grain white or brown rice.
Last nights risotto was exceptional, if I do say so myself. Noises were heard as we were eating it. Chris had all he could do to hold himself back from diving in as I was trying to take the picture.
As my food stylist, he was picking the plump shrimp from the bottom, and placing them on top to make it ‘look better’. Yeah, he’s a keeper.
While we were eating, he said in his best Chef Ramsey voice…”Rubin, come eeer yea….this rizatto here yea (poking and prodding it)…very good job on the rizatto, yes..spot on..right, now keep them coming like that, yea, ok?”
To which of course I replied (barely as I had a mouthful of rice and was laughing uncontrollably at his impression)…
“YES. CHEF!”