Just Married & Cooking by Brooke Parkhurst & James Briscione

Author:Brooke Parkhurst & James Briscione
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner
Published: 2011-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

STIRRING THE POT

Ah, the mystery and grandeur of risotto. For home cooks, risotto can be one of the more intimidating dishes to prepare, but, when it’s done right, one of the most exhilarating to serve. There are no shortcuts to a great bowl of risotto, but there is a way to make your time in the kitchen easier. Just know that every risotto is made from the same formula. After you practice a few times with our recipes here, you’ll be ready to color outside the lines and create a new risotto with your favorite ingredients.

THE FORMULA

INGREDIENTS

Aromatics— shallots, onions, leeks, and/or garlic

Rice— short-grain rice (see note on page 167)

Wine— for flavor (optional)

Liquid— chicken stock, vegetable broth, or water if you must

Main Ingredient— Whatever you want to flavor the risotto with. The main ingredient may need to be precooked, such as sautéed mushrooms or blanched asparagus or sweet peas.

Butter and Cheese— to be stirred in at the last moment, because they always make things better

METHOD

Begin by sweating the aromatics in a small amount of fat. Butter or olive oil is fine.

When the aromatics begin to smell sweet, add the rice and stir well to coat with the fat. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice begins to sizzle.

Deglaze with the wine. Cook until the wine is completely evaporated.

Make your first addition of stock (be sure to preheat it). Add just enough stock to cover the rice completely. Bring the mixture to a simmer while constantly stirring. When the mixture is very thick and the stock is reduced by over half, add enough stock to return it to its first level. The more you stir, the creamier the risotto will be.

When the rice is two-thirds cooked, either spread it out on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet to cool quickly or add the main ingredient to the pot if serving right away.

If reheating, 5 to 10 minutes before serving, bring a small amount of stock and butter to a boil in a large pot. Add the cold risotto at once and stir rapidly to reheat. Fold in the main ingredient, continuing to stir and cook. Adjust the consistency and doneness by adding stock as needed.

Remove the pot from the heat. Add butter and cheese to taste and beat the mixture rapidly with a wooden spoon.

THE ULTIMATE RISOTTO TRICK

One of the most intimidating things about this creamy Italian rice dish is the time it can take to prepare it. And that’s why most home cooks keep it off the menu. Great risotto takes time. So, then, how do restaurants consistently churn out bowls of perfect risotto, every five minutes, for hours on end? There’s a trick, of course, and it’s one chefs use every time they serve risotto to diners.

During dinner parties, while Brooke is filling guests’ glasses, Jamie may prefer to hide out in the kitchen, stirring risotto with one hand and updating sports scores with the other. But that’s just poor hosting. So here’s how a home cook can make like a high-flying

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