Risotto Primavera

Risotto Primavera is a dish which has the fresh flavours of green vegetables and in Italy, would be enjoyed in the Springtime. It should look like emerald jewels in creamy, indulgent, oozy rice. Here in the UK, fresh broad beans and fresh peas arrive a little bit later. If I can't get hold of fresh broad beans or peas, I am happy to use frozen. Fresh asparagus is something I don't like to compromise on. I'd rather leave it out than use tinned or asparagus in a jar. Maybe that's just me.  

 

I am going to do something which is unorthodox in this recipe, and I hope you won't mind. I have some rinds of Parmesan cheese I've been keeping in the fridge. I'm going to add them for their umami flavours into the risotto. They will have to be retrieved, but the effect will still be evident in the final dish. You can save Parmesan rinds in your freezer, either for making a risotto, or to put in your stock or a soup.

I am using Vermouth in this risotto. You can use another white wine as a replacement. Verdicchio is a good wine to use, and it gives you the option of enjoying the rest of the bottle with your dinner.

Snig's version of Risotto Primavera

(Serves 2 greedy people, or 3)

 

Ingredients:

Two tablespoons of olive oil
half a stick of celery finely diced
onion, both finely diced. 
3 cloves of garlic, very finely diced 
140g of Arborio risotto rice 
half a glass (65ml ish) of extra dry Vermouth
500ml heated stock (vegetable or chicken)
Optional leftover rinds of Parmesan cheese
some sliced green beans for 4 minutes
a third of a mug of frozen Petit pois
a third of a mug of double podded frozen broad beans 
sliced asparagus 
15g of butter
a couple of tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese
  

Method: 

1. Two tablespoons of olive oil, in which I am softening half a stick of celery and an onion, both finely diced. Six or seven minutes to get them soft without browning. 

 

 
2. Then I add three cloves of garlic, finely diced to the pan. If you are less keen on garlic, one or two cloves will be fine. Remember, garlic has lots of health benefits, including being anti-viral! Cook for five minutes on a low heat.  

 

 

3. Next goes in the rice. I'm cooking for two, so I weighed up 140g of Arborio risotto rice. I'm frying it for just under two minutes, stirring frequently. You need to keep it moving at this stage to avoid burning. 

 

 
4. Next is half a glass (65ml ish) of extra dry Vermouth. Turn up the heat, bring to the boil. Stir frequently. Keep it moving. It takes just under 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol enough for the next step. When you can't smell the alcohol, you're ready. 

 

 
5. Now is the time for the hard work. You need to add heated stock (vegetable or chicken) ladle by ladle. You need to keep stirring it, to help the rice absorb the liquid. 

 

 
6. I am going to do something which is unorthodox. I have some rinds of Parmesan cheese I've been keeping in the fridge. I'm going to add them for their umami, although I'll have to dig them out later.

 
7. I parboiled some sliced green beans for 4 minutes. I then added them to the risotto. Even after adding the veggies, the stirring must continue. As the liquid disappears, I add more ladles of stock. 

 
8. Next goes in sliced asparagus. You can see I've added stock and kept it moving.

 

 

9. Finally, I add a third of a mug of frozen Petit pois and a third of a mug of double podded frozen broad beans. I added them in when the rice was Al Dente. You don't want the rice tasting grainy or granular when you taste it.

 
10. After two minutes, stir in 15g of butter and a couple of tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Turn the heat off. Stir through. Put the lid on. Leave to rest for about 4 minutes.

 

 
11. Stir thoroughly, and serve in bowls.

 

 
12. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese. Around 2 tablespoons per bowl. Serve and enjoy immediately.   

 

Risotto con Funghi Misti (A guest post by Linda Poulnott)

I was delighted to host the first of my friend Linda Poulnott’s posts about Neapolitan cooking, based on her experience of living in the Bay of Naples for over 20 years.

Linda’s first post, about how you can cook like a real Neapolitan Mamma [Come facette mammeta (like mother makes)] is full of useful tips which can be easily followed to great effect can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/come-facette-mammeta-guest-post-by.html

But right now I am very pleased to be hosting the second of Linda’s guest posts. This is her take on an authentic southern Italian risotto. I love the directness of this recipe. I love risotto, and I enjoy making it at home, but perhaps have been overcomplicating this classic dish. Linda’s version is deceptively simple, but lives up to one of her guiding principles for “real” Neapolitan food; to let the ingredients shine and speak for themselves.

So I will now leave you to enjoy Linda’s brilliant recipe, which I hope you will make at home and share with your family and friends.

Linda Poulnott; friend, cook, guitarist, music fan and all round lovely person

RISOTTO CON FUNGHI MISTI (Risotto with mixed mushrooms.)

Ingredients for 4 people

350g of arborio risotto rice

150g of fresh mixed mushrooms (you can use a pre-packed selection)

1 medium onion

1 small glass of white wine (or a large one and you can drink half!)

50g of cooked ham (optional) (look out for Italian proscuitto crudo, but any cooked ham will do)

500mi vegetable or ham stock

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

A handful of finely grated parmesan

A teaspoon of finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Salt

Pepper

You will need:

A frying pan

A saucepan

A ladle

Method

1. Clean and chop the mushrooms, onion and garlic.

2. Add a tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan and fry the mushrooms, garlic, ham and onion gently until cooked (about 10 minutes), add a little salt, then set aside on a warm plate. If you prefer to add the garlic towards the end of the cooking time to prevent burning, this is a good idea.

3. Prepare the stock in a saucepan and IMPORTANT (!) keep it simmering! Have a ladle ready to add the stock to the frying pan when needed.

4. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan which should be on a medium heat. Add the rice and stir until it starts to turn opaque. At that point pour in the glass of white wine and stir.

5. When most of the liquid has been absorbed add the first ladleful of stock. Once again stir until the liquid has almost been absorbed then add another ladleful. The secret of a good risotto is to keep it simmering and stir often. Do not be tempted to add lots of liquid at once or turn up the heat. This results in rice that's soggy outside and hard in the middle. Yuk!

6. After about 12 minutes try some rice to check if it's almost ready. Add salt if needed. 

7. Near the end of the cooking time add the mushroom mixture, parsley and, just as you are ready to serve, add the grated parmesan. The risotto should have a very creamy texture. 

You can garnish with the remaining parsley.

BUON APPETITO!