Happy New Year from Daily Eats! We have a whole new year of exploring, tasting and making food ahead of us! To kick of the New Year Daily Eats has taken a wonderful favorite recipe of Ruth Reichl, Risotto Primavera to a winter risotto. In the video I make some very funny ironic comments, but can’t stress enough about stirring the risotto for proper creaminess.The Spice House
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
¼ finely chopped garlic
1 smallish carrot, diced – I used yellow carrots
2 small zucchini, diced
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups Arborio rice, I used Isola
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup thawed frozen peas
½ cup of Parmigianino cheese, plus extra for the table – use 2 year aged Parmigianino Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste
½ pound of shitake mushrooms – add a nice earthy flavor
6 cups of chicken stock – I’m a bit lazy I used Kitchen Basics Original Chicken Cooking Stock – Ruth Reichl recommends making your own – she’s right.
½ teaspoon of saffron strands – I got my saffron from
Slice and dice all of the vegetables before beginning to cook. This saves from interrupting the cooking and stirring process.
Simmer the stock in a sauce pan. Remove ½ cup of stock and add the saffron set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add the onion and garlic cook for 6 minutes until golden.
Add the carrot cook for 5 minutes or more. Add zucchini for 3 minutes. ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add the risotto stir until coated with oil. Add the wine and cook stirring until evaporated, about 3 minutes. Slowly add simmering stock to cover the rice, cook and stir. Keep stirring until evaporated. The stirring is about a 20 minute process. You have to be up for it.
Add the peas and shitake mushrooms, with saffron stock mixture, cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the rice is soft on the outside and still a hard on the inside.
Finally, add the remaining spoonfuls of stock, remove the pan from the heat, add 1 tablespoon of butte and the cheese, salt and pepper for taste.
Serves 4.
The original recipe for Ruth Reichl’s Primavera Risotto can be found in, “Garlic and Sapphires”, which has great recipes and lovely heart felt stories about Ruth’s life as a critic.
Happy 2010!
