I ran across a box of rice while taking stock of my cabinets, so I decided to make risotto.
- 5 1/2 cups broth (I used a light vegetable broth, and since I didn’t have any wine around, I threw in the extra half cup), kept hot
- Olive oil
- Onion, chopped finely
- Garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 cups risotto rice (you could use arborio, but I had carnaroli, so I used that)
- Portobello mushroom caps, sliced
- Tomatoes, cut up
- Salt and pepper
- Herbs, if you got ‘em. I didn’t.
Heat the broth in a pan and keep warm on low (Alton Brown recommends using an electric kettle, but I don’t have one, so I used the stove). Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet, heat the oil (you can also use a butter/olive oil combo) over medium-high heat and throw in the onion. Sautée until translucent; add the garlic and sautee for a few minutes more. Now add the rice and sautée for about 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and about a cup of the broth. Lower the heat and stir pretty well continuously until the liquid is absorbed, leaving pan uncovered. Add another cup of broth, and repeat. Don’t walk away from this, or it’ll burn on you and that would suck.
It should take about 25 minutes for all the broth to be absorbed into the rice. Just before the last addition, throw in the fresh tomatoes, and follow with the last of the hot broth. Season to taste. Once the last of the liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and let stand for five minutes before serving.
Verdict: needs something. Probably those herbs I don’t have. I think shiitakes would be even better than the portobellos, and next time, I think I’ll do all mushrooms.
Verdict: needs something.
A small purebred puppy?
It needs real parmesan, stirred through at the end.
Optionally, anything green - fresh asparagus tips, young spinach, lots of flatleaf parsley, spring onions (I think you call them green onions?), sugar snap peas, green beans. And a little bit of finely diced chorizo or bacon, if you’re not vegetarian.
True about the parmesan, but I’m trying to go vegan.
Where I am there’s a gret buddhist vegetarian place with lots of fake meat. Tremendously satisfying and I’m not a vegetarian. I could chomp on the fake chicken all day.
It’s great as well as gret.
Hey, I had risotto for dinner on Saturday too. Mine had pancetta and butternut squash, in honor of fall weather finally arriving. Not vegan or vegetarian, but dee-licious. I don’t think I could give up parmigiano-reggiano. Well, I probably could, but I’d be sad.
If you’ve got days to stand in front of the stove, try it with brown risotto sometime. It’s really good, especially nice the fall/winter months. The grain really will get tender, but keep that nice brown rice nuttiness.