Can You Say Risotto??

Well, this post is long overdue.... but I'm going to post it anyway, because I'm sure you are all dying to know what I had for Meatless Monday this past Monday. First, I'll post the recipe, just so we can get that out of the way.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1 cup chopped fennel

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 pound thin asparagus 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup mascarpone chcheese, preferably Italian
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

So first off, I'd just like to say that risotto is one of my favorite things to eat.... EVER. And although this dish is time consuming, it is by no means technically difficult (depending on what your defenition of "technically difficult" is....) and in the end is so worth it. Trust me.

This dish is originally an Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) recipe. And although she is mostly a "French" chef, this Italian dish is nothing short of spot on. And let me just make one thing clear, all of her dishes turn out well. Maybe I'm over exagerrating a bit, but my mom and I have never come across a recipe that wasn't delicious.

(Ina, if you're reading this- which I'm sure you're not- I'd just like to say that my mom and I love you!)

Anyway, I made a few modifications to this dish (which is surely wonderful in it's original form, because I've had it that way). To be truly meatless, I always make sure I use vegetable stock. Sure, chicken stock has more flavor, but it's chicken. Also, I substituted the fennel for an extra leek, just because I don't like fennel (I mean, it tastes like licorice!)

So when my mom suggested that I make a risotto, I felt this bit of fear strike through my body. No, risotto's not a scary dish. But a few weeks ago I was watching The Next Food Network Star with my family and Jyll (a very experienced cook, I might add) made a risotto for none other than the famous Wolfgang Puck. She served it to him and the selection comittee, and he took one look at it and said (in his very pompous Austrian accent of course) "Darling, let me show you how to make a risotto the right way. Yes, in the kitchen. Right now". And that's just what he did. Well, isn't he charming? Now do you see why I was afraid to make risotto? If Jyll couldn't make it right, what makes me think I could? Well, I was wrong. And it turned out wonderfully.

Now onto how it tastes (yes, I do overwrite). To me, risotto is the Italian version of Mac 'n' Cheese (though I do believe that is originally considered Italian as well....?) However, instead of pasta we use arborio rice, a short grain rice that's very meaty (haha) and tender. The trick with this dish is that you have to stir it constantly (and yes, by constantly I do mean constantly). The best part of this whole recipe is the marscapone. It makes the rice so thick and creamy. Not to mention the fact that you first mix the marscapone with lemon juice. Seriously, I could eat a whole bowl of just that.

And this is yet another dish that comes complete with leftovers! And I mean a lot of leftovers. Seriously, I'm about to go eat some now for lunch.

All in all this risotto turned out fabulous. It really is a good way to get your vegetables while eating comfort food.

How easy is that?

Leda :)