Food for Thought with Suzanne Dunaway

Asparagus Risotto

Risotto is probably the most misunderstood dish on earth.  And it is far simpler to make than most believe. In fact, cooking the risotto halfway can liberate a hostess/host to be with guests until the last minutes before serving, and there is no quality lost in the dish itself.

I love risotto because when it is leftover (rarely, so I make too much, haha), it makes the most wonderful little cheese-stuffed rice cakes for yet another meal.

The secret to perfect risotto is not to overcook, which so many restaurants do.  Risotto should never be gummy or liquid, and even a creamier risotto must keep the grains feeling just a bit al dente, not starchy or hard, but nicely textured.

And one can make a risotto out of just about anything.  My favorites are with one of these: asparagus, petoncles (tiny scallops), tomatoes, saffron and beef or chicken stock, or even apples and parmesan!

food for thought asparagus



Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped fine
  • 2 cups paella rice (arborio is authentic but I have found paella rice to work very well and it’s available in most markets)
  • 1 bunch asparagus (6-8 spears, depending on size), cut into ½-inch lengths (or a generous cup of tiny scallops)
  • 1 generous cup white wine
  • 2 generous pinches saffron threads
  • 5-6 cups chicken broth (fish or shrimp broth if you are using petoncles or chopped scallops)
  • ½ cup crème fraiche or Greek yogurt
  • Squeeze of lemon
  • Fresh basil for garnish, shredded

Method

In a casserole or wide, deep pan, heat the olive oil, add the onion for a few minutes, then add the rice and coat well with the oil. Add the rice and toss with the olive oil, coating each grain.

food for thought risotto

Cook for a minute or two, add the wine and stir over medium heat or a bit lower until the wine is absorbed. Add the diced asparagus (and/or scallops), add the saffron, then begin adding the broth, a cup at a time, stirring each time until the cup is absorbed. This will take about 15-20 minutes.

food for thought risotto

When the grains of rice are firm but easily bitten, stir in the crème fraiche or yogurt and serve in bowls garnished with fresh basil.

Here’s the trick for half-cooked risotto:  After about the 4th cup of broth, 10 minutes into the process, turn off the heat and place a lid loose over the rice, not covered entirely, just keeping warm.

About 10 minutes before serving, start the process up again over just under medium heat and finish off the risotto, adding the crème fraiche or yogurt at the last. A small dab of butter certainly doesn’t hurt either.

For scallop risotto, add a generous pinch of anise seeds, which love fish dishes.

food for thought risotto

Meet the chef

P-O Life reader, Suzanne Dunaway, has cooked since she was 5 years old, when she made cinnamon pinwheels from her mother’s pastry dough.

She LOVES to cook. Some might say she LIVES to cook. The smells, the tastes, the textures…

She is a firm believer in simplicity and creates her recipes in the ethos of ‘anyone can cook’.

After years of experience in her own kitchen, cooking schools and private classes all over the world, in this weekly blog, Suzanne shares with us her PO-inspired creations.

With many strings to her bow, she is also an artist and columnist, with two published cookbooks.

Get a copy of her ‘No Need to Knead: Handmade Artisan Breads in 90 Minutes’ here  

Or her 5 star rated book ‘Rome, at Home: The Spirit of La Cucina Romana in Your Own Kitchen’ here

All content and recipes are copyright of Suzanne Dunaway.

Tempted?

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Comments


  1. Thank you! I will try it. Also some very good tips for risotto in general.

    But please…why not use metric measures?..we are in France!

    DejW

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