Text 8755, 110 rader
Skriven 2006-12-13 11:31:04 av hap newsom (1:275/311)
     Kommentar till en text av Ian Hoare
Ärende: risotto, risotti?
=========================
Joyeux Noel Ian and Jacquie!

-> 
-> Sorry  about this, Mark, but I'm going to make a few corrections. A risotto
-> isn't a pilaff, it isn't a paella, it's not dirty rice, it's entirely
-> different in character, flavour and method.
-> 
-> >as far as i can tell, what makes risotto risotto is that one cooks it long 
and
-> >slow and keeps adding stock as needed... it is generally also cooked in a
-> >frying pan instead of a sauce pan...
-> 
-> No. From the time you start adding liquid, to the time you serve it, it
-> takes 18 minutes +- 1 minute. It's not cooked in a frying pan (that's
-> paella) but ideally a LARGE wide bottomed shallow saucepan. The size of 
the
-> pan is important to the finished result, and it should be big enough so that
-> each addition of liquid has been absorbed/evaporated pretty quickly.

While I am not as much of a traditionalist as you, on the subject of risotti
(?)
I tend to agree with you. It's one of my favorite things to make and one that 
I really miss being on a more low carb lifestyle these days. (One question 
though...isn't a large wide bottomed saucepan....a frying pan?) One of the 
reasons I am so in love with risotto is that it's tailored to my style of 
cooking...ie; standing at the stove fiddling with the dish till it's done
(grin).

-> 
-> >i can't say that i've ever heard several of the TV cooks say anything 
about
-> >frying or browning the rice before adding the liquid...
-> 
-> Then they're not demonstrating a risotto (with apologies to them, but TV
-> chefs are notorious for dumbing down, fancying up and generally b*ggering
-> around with classic recipes and methods). 
-> 
Many of the "steps" are done off camera by assistants to facilitate doing the 
recipe within the time alloted and not having the "chef" standing there just 
stirring the rice while looking at the camera (grin).

-> I know of NO authentic recipe for risotto which doesn't start with the
-> "soffrito" - the frying of onion/garlic/shallot in butter/veg oil (normally)
-> not marge, or possibly olive oil, but the vast majority of them are made
-> with real butter, from cows. When you've sweated the shallots/onions in
-> butter/oil for a few minutes till softened but not browned, THEN you add 
the
-> rice (which is not your "standard 30 mins rice" or Dales "25 minutes rice"
-> or Uncle Ben's, Auntie Leah's or any other vague cousin's abomination, but
-> either carnaroli, viala nero (sp) or Arborio). You stir it around for a bit
-> till the fat is absorbed and the rice becomes slightly transparent. Then you
-> tip in a glass of wine. (Ruth Haffly can leave out this stage, though the
-> italian saying is "Rice is born in water, but dies in wine") You've got your
-> stock simmering by now. When the wine is all absorbed/evaporated, you 
can
-> start adding your liquid about 1/2 cup at a time.
->   
Here I'd tend to not be so precise as you...I'll often use some pancetta with 
the shallots (or onions) in the first step, with butter, or olive oil (usually
a 
combination of the two) . As for the rice, I prefer arborio, but I have used 
other short grained rices with more than satisfactory results. In particular I 
have used Bomba rice with wonderful results, and have even used japanese 
sushi rice on occaision...while these may not strictly qualify as risotto rices

they perform precisely as does arborio or vialone nano does. One of the 
biggest determining factors for me is a rice that will give the 
proper "creaminess" to the dish when prepared properly and still have that 
slight firmness to the grain as well. 


-> >i don't think you could use uncle ben's... take normal 30 minute rice, as 
far
-> >as i can tell... it is what i do when i do it...
-> 
-> Aaarrgghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
-> 
-> >/me would use evoo, at least... depending on the taste i was after, i've 
been
-> >known to use bacon grease... mmmmmmmmmm...
-> 
-> Nope!!!!! Butter most times with a little oil to raise the cooking
-> temperature, NEVER bacon fat, (well - VERY rarely perhaps for a particular
-> risotto), and occasionally olive oil. 

Hmmm, I'm inclined to say even if you used bacon grease, or porkfat, or even 
chicken or duck fat, it'd still be a risotto if the technique was the same. 
Different flavor of course but there are already many risotti of different 
flavors so it's not out of the range of acceptance ( for me at least), just as 
there are many different stocks that can be used to make the risotto.
-> 
-> Look, here's a REAL recipe for risotto. Make the effort of getting ALL the
-> ingredients, including proper stock, dried cepes/porcini and arborio rice,
-> and follow the recipe to the letter. Then come back and tell us whether 
you
-> agree that the results are entirely different or not. A risotto should be at
-> the same time with intact grains and a creamy sauce. 
-> 
-> MMMMM----- Now You're Cooking! v5.75 [Meal-Master Export Format]
-> 
->       Title: Risotto Al Funghi Porcini Secchi (Dried Cepe Risotto)
->  Categories: grains, starters, italian, classic
->       Yield: 4 servings
-> 
and this is the "Classic" example of the elemental risotto! And I agree it is 
WELL worth the small amount of time and effort to make it properly!
chat with you soon
hap 
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