redacted recipes

Heatwave Cooking: Slow Cooker Risotto

Yes, yes, I know that the only real way to make risotto is over the stove. I do it all winter long. But that was then and this is now. A very warm now, and anyway I told you all I was retiring the stove for the summer.

I had some beautiful asparagus to use up and I'm a little (possibly extremely) tired of salad. And besides, Lora Brody said it would work. Plus I wanted risotto and I was desperate. (But we had salad with it too, dammit!)

The recipe specified two hours in the slow cooker set on high. At one hour my risotto was looking close to done and was perfect half an hour later. At two hours (I was waiting for Jack to get home) it was the opposite of al dente. It tasted nice, but it was a bit soggy. Still, I'll be trying this again with a shorter cooking time. The notion of risotto in the height of summer without heating up the kitchen (or myself!) is one I find difficult to resist.

I substituted chopped leeks for shallots, as I had some needing to be used up, and decreased the amount of olive oil substantially.

Asparagus Risotto
serves 4

1 pound asparagus
1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 1/4 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
3-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 or 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cut the asparagus into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces and blanch for about two minutes in boiling, salted water. Use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to a bowl of cold water, shocking it into a lovely bright  green color and stopping it from cooking. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil over medium heat, and saute the shallots (or sliced leeks!) until they have softened. Add the rice and stir until all of the grains are coated with the olive oil. Add the wine and scrap up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Transfer to the slow cooker and stir in the chicken broth and salt. Cover and cook on High for about 2 hours or until all liquid is absorbed. Just before serving, stir in the asparagus and cheese.

For those of you who haven't seen the new tastespotting clones, be sure to check out Food Gawker, Recipe Muncher, FP Daily and New Tastings!

Risotto Cakes

Last night I had no plans for dinner but lots of leftover risotto. I'd frozen some of it and refrigerated about 3 cups with the idea of trying out risotto cakes. There are a couple of methods for doing this. Some recipes advise adding egg yolks and beaten egg whites to room temperature risotto and then pouring the resulting batter onto griddle and cooking it just like you would pancakes. I decided to try another method:

Risotto Cakes

3 cups chilled risotto
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups coarse bread crumbs (I used store-bought, but you could make your own)
6 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F. Form the chilled risotto into 8 patties using wet hands. Put the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Coat each risotto patty with flour, tapping off the excess, then egg (letting the excess drip off), and then bread crumbs, handling them very gently. Transfer the cakes to wax paper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot (but not smoking!), and then sauté 4 of the cakes, turning them over once, until browned (5 to 6 minutes total). Transfer the cakes to a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sauté the remaining 4 cakes in the same manner.

Depending on what sort of leftover risotto you're using, garnish appropriately. We happened to have Acorn Squash, Rosemary and Blue Cheese Risotto, so I sprinkled the cakes with crumbled blue cheese and fresh chopped rosemary.

Makes 4 side-dish servings or more than enough for 2 main meal servings. Serve with a salad and a big-bodied red wine.

Beet and Radicchio Risotto with Mirto

Last week Jack and I had dinner at one of our neighborhood favorites, Aurora. Definitely not a red sauce joint-- if you want spaghetti and meatballs, you won't find it there. Instead, the menu is eclectic, and includes a lot of wild game and to die for freshly made pasta. One of the dishes was farro and beets with a perfectly grilled quail and we both immediately decided it was long past time to try making a beet risotto.

And so this weekend I gave it a try. To balance out the sweetness of the beets I decided to add roasted radicchio as well. And instead of deglazing with the usual splash of white wine I used Mirto, a digestive produced in Sardinia and made with myrtle berries and leaves.

Beet and Radicchio Risotto with Mirto

1 medium red beet
1/2 head fresh radicchio, cleaned and chopped
1 1/4 c. carnaroli or arborio rice
2 medium shallots
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. butter (optional)
1/2 c. Mirto
2 c. vegetable stock
2 c. water
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 oz. goat cheese

Preheat oven to 425F.  Wash the beet, removing the dirt but leaving skin on, cut into quarters. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and olive oil, and place the quarters in a small pan, covering it with foil.  Do the same with the half head of radicchio, but wrap it in a separate foil packet.  Place the beets and radicchio in the oven to roast for about 45 minutes (until the beets are tender). Remove the beets and let cool. Unwrap the radicchio and let the leaves roast another 5 minutes or so.

When the beets are cool, peel and chop them. Chop the radicchio, as well, and set aside

Heat the stock and water together on a very low simmer.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the shallots and tarragon. Saute for about five minutes and then add the risotto, stirring until the kernels begin to look shiny. Add the butter, if you're using it, and stir for another minute or two.

Pour the Mirto into the pan and saute a few minutes more, stirring until the alcohol concentrates down a little and looks thicker.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add 1 cup hot broth and bring to a simmer, stirring until the broth is completely absorbed. Add the remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy,--about 25 to 35 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the risotto is is done toss in the goat cheese and stir until melted and incorporated.  Turn off the heat and add in the roasted beets and radicchio.  Fold in gently and serve immediately.

Farro "Risotto" with Dried Portobello Mushrooms

I'd bought some farro a few months ago as part of my Groaty Pudding debacle, and it's been hanging around in the cupboard ever since looking at me reproachfully each time I pass it by in favor of pasta or quinoa or rice.  Jack and I were tossing dinner ideas around and I decided to go and have a look at the larder (my fancy word for two cupboards, a refrigerator, two spice racks, and a bowl of onions, potatoes, garlic and whatever other vegetables I happen to have around at any given time). Wouldn't you know that sitting right next to the farro was a package of dried mushrooms? And in the freezer was a little container of truffle butter... It was meant to be.

While I think that dried porcini mushrooms, or a mix of both portobello and porcini would be ideal (as well as some fresh mushrooms), and will be trying it that way next time, this dish was a hit. We loved the toothsome and yet tender texture of the farro, and how beautifully it carried the flavor of the other ingredients.

Farro "Risotto" with Dried Portobello Mushrooms

2 cups farro
1 ounce dried portobello mushrooms
1 tbsp unsalted butter (or truffle butter, if you want to be seriously decadent!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 carrot, diced
1 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Place the farro in a large pot and cover with water. Let soak for about 30 minutes. Drain off the soaking water and boil the farro in one quart of water, salted, partially covered, for 30 - 45 minutes or until soft, but al dente. Drain.

While farro is cooking, soak the mushrooms with 1 cup of hot water for about 30 minutes. Remove them from the bowl, squeezing the water back into the bowl and reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms coarsely.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the carrots and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the mushrooms, then add the wine. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain the reserved soaking liquid into the skillet. Simmer for another 10 minutes. (If the farro is not yet cooked, remove skillet from heat and set aside.)

When the farro is cooked and drained, add it to the contents of the skillet, mixing gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Autumn Produce: Mushrooms

A follow-up to Autumn Produce

Last week Jack surprised me with a lovely savory mushroom and sausage risotto. He found the recipe at Epicurious and was inspired by the large number of rave reviews  and the cooler weather.

Made with Madeira and butter, it's a heavyweight contender and oh, so damned good. We had it as the main dish with a salad on the side, but decided in future to serve it  in smaller portions (think tasting menu size) as a primi or first course. We've also thought about cutting back on the amount of butter and possibly using olive oil instead to lighten it up a little, as well as adding reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms to the mushroom mix and the "porcini water" to the chicken broth.

The leftovers freeze well and can be made into risotto patties. Have them for dinner with a salad or, if you're feeling really decadent, for brunch with a fried egg on top.

Wild Mushroom and Sausage Risotto
from Epicurious
4 main course or 8 starter servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sweet sausage, casings removed, crumbled into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, stemmed, dark gills scraped out, caps diced
10 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 cups Madeira
6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio rice or other medium-grain rice (about 13 ounces)
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add all mushrooms, thyme, and oregano and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Madeira; boil until almost absorbed, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Bring stock to simmer in large saucepan; remove from heat and cover to keep hot. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup Madeira; simmer until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot stock; simmer until almost absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more stock by cupfuls, stirring often and allowing most stock to be absorbed before adding more, about 25 minutes. Stir in sausage mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass cheese separately.

Autumn Produce: Winter Squash

A follow-up to Autumn Produce.

Butternut squash has a sweet, nutty taste that is similar to pumpkin or sweet potato. It is delicious roasted and can also be puréed or mashed into soups, casseroles, breads, and muffins.

This is a hearty cold weather dish which I've adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe. The original list of ingredients included a half cup of heavy cream and butter. I've left out the cream as the end result seems plenty creamy on its own, and I've substituted olive oil for the butter. You can also use acorn squash instead of butternut.

This dish is terrific with a raddichio and pear salad and red wine. It's a heavy-hitter, though, so don't plan an elaborate dessert.

Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Blue Cheese Risotto
serves 6 to 8

7 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 cups arborio rice (about 13 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

Bring the chicken broth to boil in large saucepan. Cover and reduce the heat to low.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and 1half of the rosemary; sauté for about 4 minutes to coat with oil. Add the rice and stir to coat with oil-- about 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth and bring to a simmer, stirring until the broth is completely absorbed. Add the remaining remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy,--about 25 minutes longer. Stir in spinach and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the risotto to a large bowl. Sprinkle with blue cheese and the rest of the rosemary and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.