Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Another late night of baking...I know I never learn
So tonight I got off work at 2030 (8:30pm) and while I was driving home I was trying to decide what I wanted to do once I got there.
This is a Rachael Ray recipe so the portions are very good sized. It is also supposed to be a 30 minute meal but it took me longer...don't know if I am slow or if its the recipe but I just want you to be realistic in your cooking time estimate.
What should I do at home?
A.Crawl into bed with a good book
B. Take a hot bath
C. Watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey
D. Bake brownies
Yes, of course I chose option D. The other options were way too relaxing, required way too little effort and just sounded too damn easy, right? So here I sit waiting for my brownies to come out of the oven and yes I am getting sleepy but alas now that I have committed to these brownies I will conquer them. However, I do have to say there is something about cooking that does really kind of relax me and help me de-stress....well sort of.
Last night I made a great risotto recipe. I made Milanese Risotto Primavera and it has a lot of great flavor and its fresh and light and the perfect meal to celebrate Spring. I love the taste of saffron and this recipe has a "big pinch of saffron." However, just a word of caution saffron is getting more and more expensive. For this bottle I paid $17 which is pretty astronomical considering how much is in this little jar.
In a small saucepan you bring chicken broth and saffron to a boil and then turn it down and let it simmer. Or if you are me you bring chicken broth and saffron to a boil and since you aren't paying attention you let it boil over and make a giant mess on the stove and then turn it down and let it simmer.
Then in a large saucepan you put olive oil in a pan and saute the pancetta. Yum! Add the carrot, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until its soft. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rice and remember if you truly want to make authentic risotto you need to use arborio rice which you can find in any grocery store these days. Did you actually know that arborio rice is risotto rice in America but in Italy they also use carnaroli and vialone nano for their risotto? Also did you know that rice is in the grass family? Yes, I know that sounds super appetizing, right?
You also add white wine and cook it until it evaporates. Don't forget when you cook with wine its an excuse to open a bottle and try it to make sure its worthy of your dish. You never want to cook with wine you won't drink and the only way you will know if you won't drink it is to try it...and sometimes you just aren't sure if you will drink it so you need to try more of it.
Start adding the stock gradually and stir until its combined and then add more. About halfway through the broth you add chopped asparagus. The recipe says to stir in the broth for about 18 minutes and to add the asparagus around the 9 minute mark but I found that my risotto took a little longer to cook so my asparagus was a little more mushy than I care for. Just a word of caution. Once you have added most of the broth add the peas and finish cooking the risotto. At the end add butter and parmesan and combine.
Milanese Risotto Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 container (32 oz.) chicken stock
- A big pinch saffron
- 3 tablespoons EVOO
- 1/3 pound pancetta or guanciale, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 small onio, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 pound thin asparagus, sliced on an angle
- 1/3 cup fresh or thawed frozen organic peas
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
- Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and sliced or torn basil, for garnishing
Directions
- In a small saucepan, bring the stock, 1 cup water and the saffron to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer.
- In a large saucepan, heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta (or guanciale) to render the fat. Add the carrot, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rice, then stir in the wine and cook to evaporate. Begin adding the stock a few ladlefuls at a time, stirring vigorously with each addition, and cook until the rice is al dente, about 18 minutes. Add the asparagus halfway through cooking and add the peas in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Stir the butter into the risotto to melt, then stir in the cheese; remove from the heat. Serve in shallow bowls and top with the parsley and basil.
And in case you wanted to know a random food fact about me I love dill pickles!! I think they are one of the best snacks on the face of the Earth. Have a great week! Cheers!
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What happened to the brownies????
ReplyDeleteThey were in the oven while I was writing this
ReplyDelete