Gordon Ramsay's Tomato Risotto

There are many tomato risotto recipes out there on the Internet and I am sure that they are all very delicious.  There is only one tomato risotto recipe that I have ever wanted to make.  It is a recipe by Gordon Ramsay, the award-winning chef.  He has dozens of restaurants around the world and a total of nine Michelin stars (hence my description of Chef Ramsay as an "award-winning Chef"). 

Many people may not know about Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, such as the Fat Cow in Los Angeles, or Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea.  Instead, they may have learned about Chef Ramsay through television shows like Hell's Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares.  I must admit that I am an avid fan of both shows and, it is through hours of watching these shows that I began to learn about the Chef.  While the shows are enjoyable and informative (as these shows teach viewers what not to do if you own a restaurant or are trying to cook a dish), I really did not learn much about Chef Ramsay's own cooking.  For example, if you watch Hell's Kitchen, you can see a bunch of highly motivated people try to reproduce Chef Ramsay's recipes for Beef Wellington, but you don't get to see how the recipe is made.  You only see a brief glimpse of someone trying to prepare the dish and the end product: a dish that often times elicits a profane response such as "its fucking raw" from the Chef.

I have always wanted to prepare a recipe written by Chef Ramsay and, recently, I decided to make his recipe for Tomato Risotto.  It was part of a special dinner that I had planned for my beautiful Angel and wife, Clare. Although I had prepared risotto in the past, this recipe differed in significant respects.  First, it did not call for the use of wine.  Many risotto recipes call for a use of a cup of white wine after you cover the rice in the hot oil.  That is the first liquid that gets absorbed into the rice.  Second, this recipe called for the use of mascarpone cheese.  I really liked the use of the cheese because it added to the creaminess and richness of the dish.   Finally, I liked the incorporation of sauteed tomatoes, because the skins offered a little crunch (note: I used the potato masher rather than the sieve).  It is definitely better to have the crunch come from the skins than the risotto.
 

GORDON RAMSAY'S TOMATO RISOTTO

Recipe by Gordon Ramsay

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
200 grams of arborio rice
500 mililiters of chicken or vegetable stock
50 grams of unsalted butter
250 grams of cherry tomatoes
100 grams of marscapone cheese
25 grams of parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rice.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the rice and stir well to coat the grains in the oil.  Bring the stock to a boil and add 1 ladleful of it at a time to the rice, stirring well after each addition, until the liquid has been cooked but still al dente.  This will take about 15 to 18 minutes.

2.  Prepare the tomatoes.  As you prepare the risotto, heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the tomatoes and gently cook for about 10 minutes until soft.  Pass through a mouli or coarse sieve; alternatively mash with a potato masher.

3.  Finish the dish.  When the rice is cooked, fold in the mascarpone, Parmesan and the tomato mixtures, adjust the seasoning and serve.

In the end, this risotto dish may be a "go-to" dish when entertaining guests.  It is a very delicious dish and relatively simple to make.  For those reasons, I will definitely be making it again, although I am not sure I would make it for Chef Ramsay even if given the opportunity.  After watching all of those hours of Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, I would fear what Chef Ramsay would have to say about my cooking.

ENJOY!

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

This recipe caught my attention ... it blends an ancient "grain" with a traditional Italian preparation for rice.  Quinoa or, in Quechua, kinwa, is a grain-like crop that originated in the Andean mountains from modern day Ecuador to Peru and Bolivia.   South America.  Far from modern, quinoa dates back thousands of years.  The Incans referred to it as chisaya mama or "the mother of all grains."  The name is apt, as quinoa is a very healthy ingredient.  The grains pack a lot of protein, calcium, iron, and all eight essential amino acids.  

When it came to getting the ingredients, the recipe calls for the use of trumpet mushrooms and shiitake or white mushrooms.  Trumpet mushrooms can be hard to find, while most stores carry shiitake or button mushrooms.  However, I decided to use a mixed mushroom pack, which had at least four of five different mushrooms.   The variety of mushrooms definitely added to the plating of the dish.

This dish represents my first attempt at making quinoa.  The use of the risotto preparation provided some comfort, because I have made several risottos in my time. The quinoa definitely presents a different texture than the arborio rice, but I think it  still worked very well with this dish.  I would have to say that I would make it again.

MUSHROOM QUINOA RISOTTO

Recipe adapted from Healthy Eating During Pregnancy at page 88

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups of mushroom or chicken stock

1 tablespoon of extra virgin oil, plus 2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons of shallots, diced

1 teaspoon of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups of white quinoa, rinsed

1/2 cup white wine

8 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cups of grated Parmesan

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Heat the stock.  In a medium pot, heat the broth over low heat and simmer while you prepare the rest of of the dish.

2.  Prepare the risotto.  In another medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallot and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, stirring often to prevent browning.  Add the quinoa and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the grains are coated in oil and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated.  Ladle 1/2 cup of hot stock, stir and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Continue the process, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until the quinoa is fully cooked and there is no more broth, about 25 minutes.

3.  Prepare the mushrooms.  Heat the remaining two teaspoons oil in a small saute pan and cook the mushrooms until browned.  Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl and set aside.  

4.  Plate the dish.  Stir some of the mushrooms and Parmesan into the risotto.  Spoon into 4 serving bowls and top with mushrooms.  Serve immediately, with additional Parmesan cheese for sprinkling.

ENJOY!

Champagne Oyster Risotto

As my third wedding anniversary approached, I wanted to make a special dinner for my beautiful wife, Clare.  I knew that the main course had to incorporate oysters, because she loves to eat oysters.  I also thought that, given we were celebrating our anniversary, some Champagne would also be appropriate.  But, then I got to thinking.  What if I combined champagne and oysters?

Followers of this blog may remember (or may not) that I have previously combined champagne and oysters with champagne when I made Oysters with a Peach Champagne Mignonette.  However, I wanted to make a more substantial meal.  I thought about a meal that I had made the week before ... Seafood Risotto.  Instead of adding shrimp, squid and fish,  I thought I could make a risotto that just included oysters.  In addition, most risotto recipes call for the use of 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine.  I could substitute Champagne for the white wine.  I then googled "Champagne Oyster Risotto" just to confirm that I was not crazy.  My sanity was confirmed when I found a recipe offered by none other than the World Wildlife Fund.  The WWF offered the recipe as part of its effort to encourage "sustainable" eating.

The recipe calls for sauteing the oysters separately in a pan and then adding them once the risotto is cooked.  the problem with sauteing oysters is that they cook very quickly and can overcook very quickly.  I decided that I would simply garnish the risotto with the oysters, allowing the heat of the dish to gently cook the oysters.  Once the dish was served, the oysters could be mixed into the risotto, allowing them to cook even more.  The end result are oysters that are not overcooked.   However, an alternative is to just add the oysters to the pot containing the risotto within the last minute or two of cooking the risotto (or after taking the risotto off of the heat).  This will cook the oysters through enough but avoid overcooking them.

CHAMPAGNE OYSTER RISOTTO

Recipe adapted from World Wildlife Fund

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

12 fresh shucked oysters, liquor reserved

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup of shallots diced finely

4 cups of seafood stock

1/2 red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup of Champagne

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

1 to2 tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Directions: 

1.  Saute the bell pepper.  Heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over high heat.  Add the bell pepper and saute lightly, about three minutes.  The bell pepper should still have a little crunch.  

2.  Saute the shallot.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter over medium heat.  Add the shallot and saute until soft, about five to seven minutes.  

3.  Cook the risotto.  Add the risotto and toast the risotto, stirring, for about one minute.  Add the Champagne, reduce the heat a little and cook until the alcohol has evaporated and the rice has almost absorbed the Champagne, about three to four minutes.  Add one cup of seafood stock to the rice and continue to cook, stirring often, until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.  When the liquid has almost been absorbed, add another cup of stock.  Continue adding stock until the rice is cooked al dente.  

4.  Finish the dish.  Once the risotto is al dente, turn off the heat and add the bell peppers and Parmigiano Reggiano.  Stir well.  Spoon the risotto into bowls.  Add six oysters on top of the risotto, letting the heat of the risotto cook the oysters gently. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Obviously, a good pairing for this dish is Champagne.  Other sparkling wines, such as Prosecco and Cava, will work well with this dish.  If you are looking for a wine that does not sparkle, I would suggest a light, white wine such as a Pinot Gris, an Albariño or a Vinho Verde.  A couple of suggestions include the following: 

Pazo Serantellos -- Albariño

White grape blend

Rias Biaxas, Spain

Flavors of apples, nectarines and white peaches

Lemelson Vineyards -- Tikka's Run Pinot Gris

100% Pinot Gris

Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA 

Flavors of red apples, almonds and even a little fennel

ENJOY!

Carne con Rosmarino e Risotto del Midollo Osseo (Rosemary Beef with Bone Marrow Risotto)

I have not been cooking a lot lately, primarily because I have not had the time or energy.  But, recently, I motivated myself to make a dish that I have never made before.  I drew upon my creativity to create a Chef Bolek dish that draws upon foods that I love to cook with or to eat ... beef, bone marrow, risotto, rosemary and mushrooms.  

I decided that I would use the bone marrow as a substitute for extra virgin olive oil.  When you heat bone marrow, it reduces to an oil, which is good for sauteing.  Bone marrow also adds a lot of flavor to the dish.  The flavor is further underscored by the use of veal stock.  If you cannot find veal stock, then you can substitute beef stock.  Also, any kind of mushrooms can be used.

As with any Chef Bolek original, this is a first run at this recipe.  Overall, it worked out well, although I probably used a little too much bone marrow when I sauteed the onions and mushrooms.  I have modified the recipe to call for less than I used.  However, if you love bone marrow as much as I do, then feel free to use as much as you want (within reason, of course).

CARNE CON ROSAMARINO E RISOTTO DEL MIDOLLO OSSEO
(Rosemary Beef with Bone Marrow Risotto)

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

3 meat bones with marrow

1 pound ribeye

2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons of sage

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup of olive oil

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

1 cup of risotto

1/2 sweet onion, diced finely

4 cups of veal stock
1 cup of water

8 small portabello mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

1.  Roast the marrow bones.  Preheat the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roast the marrow bones for about thirty minutes.  Remove the marrow from the bones into a bowl.  Once the marrow is ready, heat the veal stock and water in a pot.

2.  Marinate the steak.  Add the fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon of sage, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper in a food processor.  Process the ingredients, adding the oil in a slow drizzle.  Use the liquid as a marinade for the meat.  Make sure all sides of the meat are covered by the marinade.

3.  Broil the steak.  Turn on the broiler.  Place the steak under the broiler and cook until the steak reaches the desired doneness.  For medium rare, I would do about six to eight minutes on each side.  Add a couple of minutes if necessary. 

3.  Saute the onions.  Spoon about two or three tablespoons of the bone marrow into a deep pot or risotto pot.  Heat over medium heat.  Once the marrow is hot and melted, add the onions and saute until translucent, stirring occasionally, for about eight minutes.  Add the mushrooms, continue to stir occasionally until the mushrooms are coated with the marrow and cooked, about five minutes.  Add another teaspoon or tablespoon of bone marrow if needed to coat the onions and mushrooms.

4.  Add the rice and broth.  Add the rice and stir to coat the rice with the marrow, about one to two minutes.  Add 1 cup of stock.  Stir continuously until the rice absorbs the stock.  When most of the broth is absorbed, add another cup of stock.  Stir continuously until the rice absorbs the stock.  Add another cup and repeat until the risotto is al dente.  Toward the end, add 1 tablespoon of fresh sage.   

5.  Plate the dish.  Once the risotto is al dente, remove from the heat.  Spoon the risotto into the center of the bowl.  Slice the steak and place the slices over the risotto.  The heat of the risotto will cook the steak, so it is better to have the steak at medium rare rather than medium.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

This recipe is inspired by Italian cuisine, with the use of risotto and a marinade that draws from the ingredients used to make Bistecca Fiorentina.  Any substantial Italian red wine will work, from a Barolo to a Chianti.  A couple of wines that I have reviewed, which I think will pair well with this dish, include the following: 

Marchesi Antinori -- Villa Antinori (2007)

55% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah

Tuscany, Italy

Flavors of dark cherry and a little blueberry

Marchesi di Frescobaldi -- Nipozzano Riserva (2006)

100% Sangiovese

Tuscany, Italy

Flavors of cherries, raspberries and plums

ENJOY!

Risotto dell'Aragosto con Zafferano

I've been wanting to make Saffron Lobster Risotto for Clare for some time.  I've made the dish for Clare a couple times in the past, but I had the urge to make it for her again.  And, I had a great opportunity recently because a local supermarket has been having a sale on lobster tails, $5.99 per 6 ounce tail.  So, I bought four tails and went to work on making the risotto. 

Generally, when I make this risotto I try to draw my inspiration from Abruzzo, the region in Italy from where my mother's relatives emigrated to the United States.  Abruzzo is a truly interesting region in the culinary sense.  To the east, there is the Adriatic Sea, which is the source for a lot of seafood.  In the west, there are the mountains, where farming is limited but herding provides lamb and mutton.  And, in between, there are fields and valleys, where farmers grow wheat, olives, grapes and, for this recipe, saffron.

Crocus Sativus (Picture is from Wikipedia)

Saffron, which is the dried stem of the Crocus Sativus, grows on the Navelli plain in the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo.  According to legend, a priest named Santucci brought saffron to Abruzzo from Spain during the height of the Inquisition.  Since then, farmers have cultivated and grown saffron in Abruzzo; however, they do not produce enough to export the spice outside of Italy.  When you see saffron in the stores, it is most likely from Kashmir or Spain, but its cultivation practically extends around the world, where farmers in Greece, Turkey, Iran, India, China and even the United States cultivate the flower for the precious stems that provide a truly unique flavor -- and its signature yellowish color -- to any dish.   

So, for me, the lobster represents the coastline of Abruzzo, the saffron represents the fields of the region and, for the hills and mountains, there is the wine.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of white wine and, in my nod to the Abruzzo region, I used a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.

Finally, I decided to change how I made the risotto.  I made the rice and the lobster separately, combining the two at the end just before plating the dish.  The reason for the change is that I wanted to try to perfect the saffron risotto itself, without adding the flavors of the lobster into the risotto.  In other words, I wanted to be able to take a fork of risotto and just taste the risotto and the saffron, without the lobster. 

In the end, this dish is like two separate dishes -- lobster and saffron risotto.  Whether taken separately or together, lobster and risotto make for one great dish.

RISOTTO DELL'ARAGOSTO CON ZAFFERANO
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients for the broth:
4 cups of seafood stock
2 cups of water
Several large basil leaves
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
A healthy pinch of saffron

Ingredients for the Risotto:

1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sweet or Vidalia onion, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of white wine
2-3 tablespoons of fresh flat leave parsley, finely chopped

Ingredients for the Lobster:
4 lobster tails
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Several basil leaves, chopped finely
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper.
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.  Take a pair of kitchen scissors (scissors that you use to cut food, like chicken or seafood) and cut down the back of the tail.  Cut down the middle and then open the tail.  Work your fingers in between the meat and the shell to separate them.  Pull the lobster meat out gently.  Cut into even size pieces and set aside in the refrigerator.

2.  Make the broth by combining the seafood stock and water in a pot.   Heat the broth until it is just about to boil, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer.  Add the basil and the saffron.  Let the broth simmer for about 15 to 30 minutes. 

3.  Add the olive oil in a separate pot and heat to medium.  Add the onions first and saute for several minutes until translucent.  After a couple of minutes of sauteing the onions, add the garlic and continue to saute.

4.  When the onions and garlic are translucent, add the arborio rice and stir to cover the rice with the olive oil, onions and garlic.  Then add the white wine and continue to stir until the wine is almost absorbed by the rice.

5.  When the wine is just about absorbed by the rice, add 1 cup of the broth and continue to stir.   Simmer slowly and stir often until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Adjust the heat of necessary so that the stock does not evaporate too quickly.  Once that cup of broth is almost absorbed by the rice, add another cup of the broth and continue to stir.

6.  Continue adding stock either by 1/2 cup or 1 cup amounts to the risotto, stirring continuously until the stock is absorbed.  Every once in a while, taste the rice.  Once the rice becomes creamy in consistency and is cooked al dente (firm to the bite), it is done. 

7.  When the rice is almost finished, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute.  Add the lobster and garlic.  Saute the lobster for about five minutes, until the lobster is translucent.  Stir often to ensure that all sides of the lobster are cooked through.

ENJOY!

For more information about the history of saffron in Abruzzo, check out Delicious Italy.

Iron Chef Night: MUSHROOMS!

Clare asked me to cook for a couple of her friends who were visiting here and she wanted me to do an "Iron Chef" night.  The question was what would be the secret ingredient.  Two out of the three people I would be cooking for were pescatarians, they ate only vegetables and fish.  I am not a big fan of the "seasonal" vegetables, such as squash and pumpkins, and I do not have enough experience cooking with them to make dishes comfortably. After whittling down the possible ingredients (all meats, seasonal vegetables, etc.), the secret ingredient was MUSHROOMS.

THE APPETIZER

Fortunately, there are a wide variety of mushrooms out there.  I decided to go a little outside of the comfort zone with some of the dishes.  I made three dishes: one soup, one risotto, and one main dish.

For the soup, I saw a recipe for a Basque-style creamy mushroom soup.  I used the recipe as a guide but modified it to accommodate our guests.  The recipe calls for beef stock, which I could not use, so I substituted vegetable stock.  I also added the garnish of a basil leave and pink peppercorns, the latter of which provided a peppery taste that was not really there based on the recipe.

BASQUE-STYLE CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP
Recipe adapted from one submitted by Paul Chapin to the Linguist List Cookbook
Serves 4 

Ingredients:
1/4 pound of butter
2 scallions (white part only)
1/2 pound of mushrooms (I used cremini and portabello), sliced
4 cups of unsalted vegetable stock
1 cup of heavy cream
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter on medium high in a pot.  Saute the mushrooms for about 10 minutes.   Add the scallions and saute for about two or three minutes more.  Reserve about 1/4 to 1/3 of the mushrooms for later.

2.  Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes.

3.  Remove from the heat and let it cool.  Pour into a blender and liquefy it.  Return the liquefied mixture to the pot.

4.  Add the heavy cream and stir.  Add the remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking the butter into the soup and making sure that each tablespoon is fully melted and blended in to the soup before adding another tablespoon.

5.  Divide the reserved mushrooms between the bowls. Pour in the soup and garnish with whatever you like.  I used a basil leaf and 5 pink peppercorns.

THE FIRST COURSE

The next dish is a Wild Mushroom Risotto.  Once again, I had to make some substitutions.  Just like the soup calls for the use of beef stock, I would have used beef stock (or maybe chicken stock) to make this risotto.  I substituted vegetable stock in this recipe and the reserved liquid from re-hydrating the mushrooms.  And, as for the mushrooms, I used a couple of dried "wild mushroom" packs that had morels, chanterelles, oysters, and other mushrooms.  You can use any mushrooms, dried or fresh, although I like to use dried mushrooms so that I have the reserved liquid to flavor the stock used to make the risotto.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 4  

Ingredients:
1/2 ounce of dried mushrooms
4 cups of unsalted vegetable stock
Liquid from re-hydrating mushrooms (optional)
4 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of toasted onion
1 cup of white wine
Handful of basil leaves
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1.  In a pot, heat the vegetable stock and the reserved mushroom liquid to a simmer.  Add the toasted onion and three large basil leaves.  Salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and keep the stock warm.

2.  In another pot, heat four tablespoons of butter on medium heat.  Saute the mushrooms for about ten minutes.  Add the rice and mix with the mushrooms and butter.  Add the wine and stir.  Cook until the wine is almost absorbed, stirring often.

3.  Add 1 cup of the stock to the rice and continue to stir until that cup is almost absorbed.  Add another cup of stock and repeat.  Once that cup is almost absorbed, add another.  You will have to add about four cups.  Everyone once in a while, taste the risotto to determine how much it is cooked.  Keep adding stock until the rice is almost al dente.

4.  Remove the risotto from the heat.  Portion the risotto in bowls and top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

THE MAIN COURSE

Finally, I decided to make a fish dish, inspired by a recipe from Morimoto, but with Italian influences rather than Japanese flavors.  The fish is basically steamed in the a covered saute pan with a broth made from the reserved liquid from the re-hydrated mushrooms and white wine.  Whenever I make a fish dish, I always try to buy sustainable fish.  A good guide is Seafood Watch, which is a program of the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.  Seafood Watch provides you with information about whether a particular fish has been over-fished or fished in a manner that harms the environment.  For example, I initially thought of using cod for this dish.  However, cod is very over-fished.  Seafood Watch recommends cobia or striped bass as alternatives.  I ultimately decided to use halibut, which is a fish that I love to eat. 

STEAMED HALIBUT WITH MUSHROOMS
A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound of halibut, sliced into four pieces

1/2 ounces of dried wild mushrooms

2 cups of white wine

3 large basil leaves, chopped

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Rehydrate the mushrooms in warm water.  Strain the mushrooms using cheesecloth and keep the strained liquid.

2.  In a pot, add the reserved liquid and the wine. Add the basil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Heat the liquid on medium high.

3.  Once the liquid is warmed, ladle some of the liquid into a saute pan.  Place the halibut pieces in the pan and cover it.  Heat the pan to medium high.  Once the liquid begins to boil and steam, ladle another cup over the fish and cover.  Add the mushrooms.  Cover.

4.  After a minute or two, ladle some more of the liquid over the fish and mushrooms and cover.  Repeat as necessary while the fish cooks, making sure that you don't add too much liquid. When the fish begins to flake, you are just about finished.  

5.  Remove from heat and plate the fish.  Top with some of the mushrooms.

For a side, I had a side of baby arugula, with some olive oil and ground pepper. 

ENJOY!

Risotto dei Maiali che Cercano i Tartufi

After having made Seafood Risotto and Risotto dello Zafferano con il Calamaro ed i Pettini, I decided to make a risotto with meat.  A lot of meat. This recipe includes two types of pork: pancetta and rubbed black forest bacon.  However, the meat is balanced by the use of mushrooms and sage.  

Finally, I decided to use truffles.  Well, not actual truffles, because those sell for about $100 a pound.  Instead, I used a little truffle oil, which provides the hint of that earthy ingredient.  

For me, this recipe represents the first time that I let my creativity go wild.  As I made this recipe, I pictured pigs hunting through the forest for mushrooms and the elusive truffle.  You can taste the truffle, but you cannot find it.  This picture led to the name -- "Risotto dei Maiali che Cerchano i Tarfufi" -- roughly translates as the Risotto of Pigs Hunting Truffles.

RISOTTO DEI MAIALI CHE CERCHANO I TARTUFI
Serves 2-3
A Chef Bolek Original

Ingredients:
1/4 pound of pancetta, diced
1/3 pound of black forest bacon, diced
1 package of dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated, with mushroom liqueur reserved)
1 cup of arborio rice
3 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of white wine (I used Orvieto, a very good Umbrian wine)
1 package of sage
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 clove shallots, diced
1/2 medium-sized sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Truffle oil

Directions:

1.  Rehydrate the porcini mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms and set aside.  Strain the liquid and reserve it for use later.

2.  Combine the chicken stock and reserved mushroom liquor in a pot on high.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Then add the crushed red pepper and a few sage leaves.  Stir and heat until it is very warm but do not let it boil.  

3.  Heat a medium sized pot on medium.  Add pancetta and saute for about four to five minutes. You want to cook the pancetta for a while to draw out the fat, which will help to cook the rest of the risotto.  Stir occasionally to avoid burning the pancetta. After the fat is drawn out, which takes about 5 minutes, add the onion, shallots and garlic.  Saute these ingredients for about 4-5 minutes, allowing them to sweat and to mix the flavors with the pancetta.  Stir occasionally to avoid anything from burning.

4.  Now, add the arborio rice.  Stir the rice to make sure that it is coated with the pancetta, onion, shallot, and garlic.  All of the rice should be covered.  You should mix it only for only about a minute or so.  Then, add 1 cup of white wine.  Allow the wine to be absorbed by the rice, stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not burn on the bottom of the pot.

5.  Once the wine is almost absorbed (but not entirely), add about a cup of the chicken stock/mushroom liquor to the rice and continue to stir occasionally.  Once this liquid is absorbed by the rice, add another cup.  Continue to add the stock/liqueur until the arborio rice is al dente (tender but not too crisp). 

6.  When the arborio rice is becoming tender, heat a separate pan on high.  Add the bacon and begin to saute the bacon.  After 3-4 minutes, add the mushrooms and sage.  Continue to cook the bacon, mushrooms and sage for another 3-4 minutes. 

7.  When the arborio rice is al dente and the bacon is cooked through, combine the bacon/mushroom/sage mixture with the arborio rice and stir it very well.  Drizzle olive oil infused with truffles over the risotto and mix it again very well.  Plate it by spooning a large amount into a bowl.

ENJOY!

Risotto dello Zafferano con il Calamaro ed i Pettini

For her birthday, my beautiful Angel, Clare, wanted me to make her a special dinner.  I had thought about a  lot of dishes that I wanted to make for her, but, I ultimately decided to make a special version of the Seafood Risotto recipe.  For this risotto, I chose to use saffron, along with squid and scallops.  

The recipe is basically the same as the Seafood Risotto recipe.  The only difference is that I only used the squid and scallops.  The key is to make sure that all the scallops are the same size and that the pieces of squid are about the same size.  This make sure that the seafood cooks evenly. 

RISOTTO DELLO ZAFFERANO CON IL CALAMARO ED I PETTINI
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 cups of seafood stock
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of white wine
1 pinch of saffron
1/2 pound of cleaned squid (both bodies and tentacles)
1/2 pound of scallops
1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sweet or Vidalia onion, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Oregano, to taste
Salt, to taste
Parsley, chopped
Several leaves of basil
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Directions:

1.  In a pot, heat the seafood stock and water to a simmer.  Keep stock warm over low heat.

2.  In another pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic.  Saute the onion and garlic for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the rice and stir the rice so that the rice is covered by the olive oil.  Add the white wine and cook until the wine is almost absorbed, stirring often for a couple of minutes.

3.  Stir in 1 cup of warm stock and the pinch of saffron.  Simmer slowly and stir often until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Adjust the heat of necessary so that the stock does not evaporate too quickly.

4.  Continue adding stock either by 1/2 cup or 1 cup amounts, stirring continuously until the stock is absorbed.  When there is about 1 cup of stock left, add the scallops and stir with another 1/2 cup of stock.

5.  By this time, the rice should be creamy in consistency and cooked al dente (firm to the bite) and seafood should be partially cooked.  Slice the bodies of the squid into pieces that are roughly the same size.  Add the squid  and cook for a couple of minutes until it is opaque.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir well.  Also add pepper to taste.

6.  Serve in bowls. Place a couple of basil leaves on the risotto and sprinkle some of the parsley over the risotto.  Also, sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

ENJOY!

Seafood Risotto

Those who know me know that I cooked at a seafood restaurant during college.  I hated the job and, after I quit for law school, I basically stopped cooking.  My culinary renaissance came when I took a vacation in Italy that was coordinated by the Smithsonian Institution.  Led by a local chef, who was born in Tuscany, the trip took a group of us through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, where we learned not only about how food was made, but we also got to see demonstrations of how it should be prepared.  Upon returning from this vacation, I renewed my interest in cooking.  I decided to focus on one cuisine, so that I learn the ingredients, cooking techniques and the presentation. I chose Italian cuisine, for obvious reasons.

There are few dishes more quintessentially Italian than risotto.  Arabs brought the short-grained rice to Sicily and Spain during the 14th century.  However, as for the origins of the dish known as "risotto," that is the stuff of legend.  More specifically, during the construction of the Duomo di Milano, an apprentice glassmaker named Valeris had the task of making the glass for the dome.  The townsfolk in Milan teased Valerius about his work, placing the credit for the vibrant glass on his use of saffron rather than his talents.  Tired of the teasing, Valerius decided to play a prank on the townspeople who were gathered for his master's wedding.  Valerius added large amounts of saffron to the rice prepared for the meal at the wedding.  Far from a prank, the townspeople loved the rice dish, which became what we know to be risotto.  (For those who want to learn more, you can check out this website and this other website.)

Setting the legends aside, the reality is that risotto is a blank canvas, which a cook can use to make a work of culinary art.  The canvas is arborio rice.  The cook can add a variety of broths or stocks (beef, chicken, vegetable or seafood), wines and a variety of meats, seafood and/or vegetables, along with a variety of herbs and spices.  I've made a few different risottos and, over time, I intend to post the recipes for those risottos on my blog.  For now, I'll start at the beginning, because all of my risottos flow from a basic recipe that I found in a cookbook that is far from Italian -- the Pike's Place Seafood Cookbook.  The cookbook contains a recipe for Shellfish Risotto.  True to form, I've never followed the recipe to the letter; instead, I use it as a guide.  And, with that guide, I produced what I consider to be my first true work of culinary art.

SEAFOOD RISOTTO
Adapted from the Pike's Place Seafood Cookbook at 113-114
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 cups of seafood stock
2 cups of water
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 pound of shelled and deveined shrimp (get the largest count available)
1/4 pound of cleaned squid
1/2 pound of halibut
1 1/2 cups of arborio rice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sweet or Vidalia onion, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
Oregano, to taste
Salt, to taste
Several leaves of basil
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Directions:

1.  In a sauce pan, heat the seafood stock and water to a simmer.  Keep stock warm over low heat.

2.  In another pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic.  Saute the onion and garlic for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the rice and stir the rice so that the rice is covered by the olive oil.  Add the white wine and cook until the wine is almost absorbed, stirring often for a couple of minutes.

3.  Stir in 1 cup of warm stock.  Simmer slowly and stir often until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Adjust the heat of necessary so that the stock does not evaporate too quickly.

4.  Continue adding stock either by 1/2 cup or 1 cup amounts, stirring continuously until the stock is absorbed.  When there is about 1 cup of stock left, add the halibut and the shrimp and continue and stir with another 1/2 cup of stock.

5.  By this time, the rice should be creamy in consistency and cooked al dente (firm to the bite) and seafood should be partially cooked.  Add the squid  and cook for a couple of minutes until it is opaque.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir well.  Also add oregano, basil and pepper to taste.

6.  Serve in bowls.  Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle over the risotto.  Also, sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

ENJOY!