|
Risotto Ubriaco (drunken risotto)
 One Pot Italian Cooking
Massimo Capra
A good-natured fixture of the Toronto restaurant scene , Massimo Capra presides over Mistura, celebrated for fine risotto. Here he brings us hearty one dish cooking inspired by his childhood in Cremona. Beginning with soups and culminating with chocolate risotto and zabaglione, this is a collection of recipes that will keep you warm all winter. Colour and b & w photos. Softcover, 192 pp. $29.95.
If you have heard of champagne risotto, then you will understand this recipe. I first encountered it in a restaurant in Venice, where it was made with Amarone. At first I thought it a waste of good wine, until I learned that using only the best quality ingredients when preparing a recipe is as important as having the right drinking wine to accompany the dish.
Makes 4-6 servings
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp/30ml vegetable oil
1 cup/250ml smoked pork belly, diced into 1/2 inch (5mm) pieces
3 1/2 cups/875 ml carnaroli rice, unwashed
2 cups/500ml full-bodied red wine
6 cups/1.5L light chicken stock
2 tbsp/30ml butter
4 tbsp/60ml grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Sweat the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil. Add the diced pork belly and stir to mix well.
Add the rice and toast it, stirring constantly to prevent sticking, for 2-3 minutes, until it is very hot but not browned. Pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid is absorbed or evaporated. Add enough chicken stock to cover the rice; simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the chicken stock, a ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb most of the liquid before adding more, until the rice is tender but firm. Be careful toward the end not to add too much stock - the risotto should be creamy, not soupy. This process should take 16-18 minutes in total.
When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat. Add the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano; stir vigorously to fluff. Serve at once in bowls.
Back to top |
|
