Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [118]
Filtered water from the mushroom soak
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
⅓ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus additional cheese at the table
Salt, if required
1. Bring the broth to a very slow, steady simmer on a burner near where you’ll be cooking the risotto.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of the butter, the vegetable oil, and the chopped onion in a broad, sturdy pot, and turn on the heat to medium high. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes translucent, then add the rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly until the grains are coated well.
3. Add ½ cup of simmering broth, and cook the rice following the directions in Steps 3 and 4 of the basic white risotto recipe.
4. When the rice has cooked for 10 minutes, add the reconstituted mushrooms and ½ of their filtered water. Continue to stir and when there is no more liquid, add more of the mushroom water, stirring, letting it evaporate, and adding more, until you have used it all up.
5. Finish cooking the rice with broth or, if you have no more broth, with water. Cook the rice until it is tender, but firm to the bite, with no more liquid remaining in the pot.
6. Off heat, add a few grindings of pepper, the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and all the grated Parmesan, and stir thoroughly until the cheese melts and clings to the rice. Taste and correct for salt. Transfer to a platter and serve promptly with additional grated cheese on the side.
Risotto with Asparagus
For 6 servings
1 pound fresh asparagus
Salt
Enough Basic Homemade Meat Brothe, OR canned beef broth diluted with water to provide at least 6 cups cooking liquid when added to the water used for blanching the asparagus
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons onion chopped very fine
2 cups Arborio or other imported Italian risotto rice
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon parsley chopped very fine
1. Cut off 1 inch or more from the butt end of the asparagus spears to expose the moist part of each stalk, then pare the asparagus and wash it.
2. Choose a pan that can accommodate all the asparagus lying flat. Put in enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan, and 1 tablespoon salt. Turn on the heat to medium high and when the water boils, slip in the asparagus and cover the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes after the water returns to a boil, depending on the freshness and thickness of the stalks. Drain the asparagus when tender, but still firm, without discarding their water. Set aside to cool.
3. When the asparagus is cool enough to handle, cut off the tips of the spears about 1¼ to 1½ inches from the top and set aside, and cut the rest of the spears into ½-inch pieces, discarding any portion of the bottoms that seems particularly tough and stringy.
4. Add enough broth to the asparagus blanching water to make about 6 cups, and bring it to a very slow, steady simmer on a burner near where you’ll be cooking the risotto.
5. Put 1 tablespoon of butter, the vegetable oil, and the chopped onion in a broad, sturdy pot, turn on the heat to medium high, and cook the onion, stirring, until it becomes translucent. Add the cut-up asparagus stalks, but not the spear tips. Cook for a minute or so, stirring thoroughly to coat the asparagus well.
6. Add the rice, stirring quickly and thoroughly until the grains are coated well. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and asparagus water, and cook the rice following the directions in Steps 3 and 4 of the basic white risotto recipe.
7. Cook the rice until it is tender, but firm to the bite, with barely enough liquid remaining to make the consistency somewhat runny. Off heat, add the reserved asparagus tips, a few grindings of pepper, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and all the grated Parmesan, and stir thoroughly until the cheese melts and clings to the rice. Taste and correct for salt. Mix in the chopped parsley. Transfer to a platter and serve promptly.
Risotto with Celery
WHEN WORKING with this recipe, do not discard all the leafy celery tops because