Risotto - Food fit for Gods

I love risotto, I mean I really adore risotto. If you are looking for comfort in a bowl, this is it. I also love the versatility; you can make it with a variety of flavors to suit your cravings; it can be a starter, a side or a main dish and when made correctly brings a deep satisfaction. I always use arborio rice but until recently, I had been buying it at Bulk Barn (a store I really love). Last week I picked up a box of Italian arborio at Italian Star Deli (a store I love even more), on a whim. Well, let me tell you, the difference was shocking!

And finally I will share some of my tricks for a great mushroom risotto - this one's for you Aleaha.

(makes 4 main course servings or 6 starters - unless you're us, then the pot will only feed two!)

Total time - 40-50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 quart chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)
• dried mushrooms (optional)
• 4 medium crimini or button mushrooms coarsely chopped
• 1 chopped shallot
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional)
• salt, white pepper
• thyme or herbs de provence (optional)

I start by heating a quart of chicken stock in a small pan on the stove - choosing the burner that's right behind my risotto pan. I add dried mushrooms to the stock before I begin heating as it really boosts the mushroom flavor. If you do this, you'll need to be careful when ladeling the stock so you don't get any of the mushroom grit into the risotto.

Next I use a windsor pan for my risotto because it increases the surface area of the liquid so it evaporates better but you can use whatever pan you like - a saucier is a good alternative.

All Clad LTD Windsor pan (the one I use)

Sautee the chopped shallot in the olive oil until translucent. Turn the heat to medium low and add the arborio rice, stirring until all the rice is coated with oil. Add the white wine and stir constantly until the wine is absorbed/evaporated. Carefully add the chicken stock using a ladle, one ladle at a time, stirring until liquid is nearly gone before adding the next ladle full. add the herbs if using and season with salt and white pepper.  In a separate saute pan, cook the mushrooms until browned and add to the risotto about midway through. Continue with ladeling and stirring until the rice is creamy and slightly firm to the bite, adding a tiny bit more stock (or cream if you prefer) to keep the risotto loose as it cools. You don't want a sticky mass of rice, it should be creamy yet slightly loose on the plate (you should need a shallow bowl). Add the parmesan at the end, if you are using. Serve immediately.

With the high quality risotto I used a lot less stock before the rice was finished than I do with the bulk arborio I had been using. It also was a lot creamier with a less pasty feel to the creamy liquid and allowed the rice to cook evenly so it had a slight bite without being mushy in the least. I will never use any other arborio again!

For this version, I also omitted the parmesan because, well, seafood! I cooked the shrimp and scallops in a pan with some basil pesto and then topped the risotto with them in each dish. Yes, the scallops were previously frozen so I was unable to get a sear on them, I would use fresh next time but this was a spur of the moment and all I had on hand.

One tip for using mushrooms - definitely cook them separately and only add the halfway to 3/4 of the way through cooking or they will absorb too much of the stock and lose their flavor.

Also, on the off chance that you have any leftover risotto, it makes a most excellent arancini!

Hope you give it a try and enjoy risotto as much as we do.