something coming soon.
When I can figure out how to get a list of the other posts in this category here, it will be. For now, just some pictures. =)
flickr stream.
Risotto con Squash y Chard
So, after last night’s disaster, I had to go with something I knew would be a hit. Risotto. I’ve studied and made both Marcella and Lidia’s recipes multiple times, so I was basically flying solo here. I was planning on a risotto with peas. Oops. No peas in the freezer. Now, this recipe is going to take some reading. But, all this reading is here so that you can understand what I did. This was a simple, simple dinner. Some experience helped, but the work required was really minimal. Read on, please.
I started by roughly dicing 1 yellow onion. I put that in a bowl, and set it aside. Then I measured 2 cups of Arborio, and set that aside. Then I took the leftover chicken stock from the gravy on Saturday night, and topped it off with veggie stock up to around 5 cups. I set that on medium heat, covered it, and let it come to a boil.
While the stock heated up, I went outside and clipped about 4 medium chard leaves, 1 mizuna ( mustard ) leaf, and one oak-leaf looking green in my mesclun bowl. I cleaned the leaves, and chopped them into small bits ( so the little girl wouldn’t notice the consistency ).
So I’m getting ready to start the rice, and I’ve got a bowl of onions, a bowl of chopped greens, a measuring cup with the rice and my hot stock. Also, the bag of frozen chopped Butternut Squash in the freezer.
I put some olive oil ( enough to give the pot a thick coating, but not a puddle ), the onions and some salt in the pot over medium heat. I used my new 5 quart Le Creuset pot that I blew a big chunk of my available cash on. It was worth every penny.
After about 10 minutes, the onions were getting golden, so I channeled Lidia, and poured in the rest of some leftover white wine, around a cup. After that simmered off, I sprinkled a touch more salt, and started with the broth.
Risotto, for the inexperienced, is all about slowly bringing out the creamy goodness of the rice with hot broth. I add just slightly more than would make the rice soupy. That way, there is something to cook off, and it is enough you don’t have to babysit too much. After I pour the broth in, I stir deeply to evenly distribute it, and then I leave the rice to cook. What I look for is the same look that I see in the rice cooker when it’s almost done; rice holding still, the boiling bubbles making holes in the rice. If you see water, it’s too much. This takes practice, but once you recognize what you’re looking for, it is not hard, and it has a window, so no crisis will happen if you miss the exact moment it starts.
So I went through the broth like this. While I did that, I took out the 12-inch curved side skillet, and put it on high heat, with some olive oil. I took the squash out of the freezer, and tossed it into the pan. As it thawed, I added a little water to help break it down. Then I tossed in my chopped greens, sprinkled a little salt and tossed it. ( note: if you can’t toss a skillet, practice with dried beans. this skill is very useful. ) I wished I had some garlic to put in, but there was none to be found. Added to grocery list.
When I poured the last of the broth into the risotto, I added the contents of my skillet, then I grabbed the parmigiano and the romano wedges out of the fridge and grated about 2 cups worth with the Microplane. After the broth had been absorbed, I turned the heat off, added a good pour of olive oil, and then poured in the cheese. I stirred it well, then starting cracking pepper over the pot. If I had planned better, I would have had some fresh Italian parsley to stir in now too.
For garnish, I would use some more cheese and parsley. Tonight left no time for garnish, so I served the bowls with some fresh sliced bread and called it good. By the time I served the dish the squash had completely dissolved into the rice, and it was a beautiful orange color with the green specks of cooked greens throughout. The taste was rich, creamy, and fruity ( for lack of a better word ) thanks to the squash and greens. J and the Princess were quite happy, and I was too. This was a combo to be repeated. Yay! I needed something good after last night. =)
posted to In the Kitchen, at 02:11 PM. permalink
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