The Silvertron Cafe’s Marco Morosini demos basic risotto.
By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson
Risotto is a versatile and nutritious Italian dish that can be served as a first course or main dish. A key component of making risotto is the selection of the flavoring ingredient, which can be veggies, seafood, mushrooms, or any ingredient you choose. The chosen ingredient’s flavor characteristics become synthesized into the risotto as it is cooked. Make this dish your own by substituting the green peas with your favorite food. Then make another variation by experimenting with a different flavoring ingredient.
Ingredients:
4 teaspoons of olive oil
1 Medium shallot (small diced)
3 Cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 Cup dry white wine
1/3 Gallon warm stock (can be vegetarian, chicken or beef)
½ Cup of grated Parmesan cheese
¼ Cup of butter
½ Cup green peas or other flavoring ingredient of you choice
Procedure:
Add olive oil to a pan over medium/high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add peas or your chosen vegetable or other ingredient to flavor the risotto. Add rice and stir for a two minutes. Toast the rice two minutes until the pan has no liquid inside, the drier the better. Add the wine and let it cook off. Add enough stock to cover the rice. Then add more stock as needed to keep it covered. After eight minutes of cooking stop adding the broth. Continuously stir the rice. Do not allow the rice to go unstirred for 30 seconds or more. After eight minutes, remove from the heat and add butter and cheese. Let it sit for one minute. Stir the rice with the butter and cheese. The finished dish should be al dente with individual, glistening grains of rice
sticking together but firm to the tooth. Taste the risotto for seasoning purposes. Add salt and
pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Yield 2 Servings.
Published,
B-Metro magazine, February 2012