You know that you've made a dish enough times to feel feel comfortable with the basic procedure when you can pick the ingredient variations and just head on in. I think I've finally reached that point with risotto. Not that I don't make mistakes or some aren't better than others, but I basically know what I'm doing.
There was some great looking Mexican asparagus in the grocery stores last week, and we decided that it needed to come home with us. We also had some mushrooms that needed using, and Julie made a strong pitch for using them here. I was dubious, but went along.
I put a pot of stock on to simmer and dropped the woody end of the asparagus in to add to the mix. I browned a diced onion and sliced mushrooms in a mix of butter and olive oil and then added 2/3 cup of arborio rice. Once the rice was glossy I added the first ladle full of stock. The secret to making risotto is adding the stock a little at a time and stirring gently but almost constantly. When rice was just getting toothy, I added the 1/2 inch pieces of asparagus, so that when the rice was finished (you want a starchy sauce, but the rice should still be firm) it would be tender but firm. When it reached this stage, I added a pat of butter and the 1/2 cup parmesan that Julie had shredded for me and stirred them in. It's best right away, so we ate it here with a simple salad.
As for me, I wouldn't combine the strong mushrooms with the subtle asparagus again, but Julie liked it fine. Now we just have to wait for spring and beauty of local asparagus to try it again.
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