In recent years, risotto has become a popular side dish or entree in upscale restaurants. But the classic preparation involves a lot of patience, and a great deal of stirring.
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Traditionally, risotto begins by sauteing Arborio rice (a short-grained Italian variety) in butter with a bit of chopped shallot or onion. Then, simmering broth is added one ladle at a time and is stirred until the liquid is absorbed. The process continues until all the broth is absorbed, which can sometimes take up to an hour of stirring and ladling.
I've sampled some fantastic risottos, most memorably a Pancetta and corn risotto made extra creamy with the addition of mascarpone cheese and extra delicious with a topping of sauteed lobster at Bistro 491. Also, on a recent trip to Walt Disney World, my husband, Bond, and I dined at the chef's table in The Flying Fish Cafe at the Boardwalk Resort.
Dining at a chef's table is a fun experience if you don't mind a little heat (restaurant kitchens are stiflingly hot). At Flying Fish, my rock shrimp and Serrano ham risotto was served as a base for oak-fired wahoo drizzled with a poblano pepper coulis.
I had often wondered how a restaurant kitchen could produce delicious risottos on short order, and the chef who served us at Flying Fish gave me the secret. At the restaurant, the Arborio rice for the risotto is cooked until it's almost done ahead of time. When an order comes in, the line chef melts some butter in a skillet, adds the cooked rice and any other additions to the risotto (in our case, corn, chopped rock shrimp and diced Serrano ham), then adds additional stock, cream or mascarpone cheese (a soft Italian cheese similar to cream cheese) and heats through.
In this week's recipe for Tomato-Basil Risotto, I'm bringing this restaurant secret home with a delicious entree risotto that includes sauteed chicken breast meat, diced fresh tomatoes, a chiffonade of fresh basil and shredded Romano cheese.
Instead of following the traditional method of stirring ladles of hot liquid into the risotto, I simply saute the Arborio rice in butter, then add chicken stock and cook it like regular rice. You'll want to simmer it, covered, for about 15 minutes, which is less time than it takes for the rice to be completely done.
You undercook the rice slightly since it will be cooked again. The rice can be cooked ahead and refrigerated, tightly covered, until you're ready to prepare the dish.
Arborio rice is a high-starch, short-grained Italian rice that is essential in preparing risotto. Its high starch content provides creaminess to the risotto that you can't duplicate with any other type of rice. You can find it in most local supermarkets in cellophane bags containing about 2 cups of the rice, or plastic containers labeled "risotto rice" containing about 4 cups of rice.
It is essential that the basil is fresh. Most supermarkets stock fresh herbs in the produce section. Always wait to slice fresh basil until just before it's needed since it tends to darken around the cut edges. The easiest way to slice this anise-scented herb is to stack the washed and dried leaves on top of one another, about five to 10 leaves high, then roll them up like a cigar and slice into a slender chiffonade.
Serve this risotto piping hot, with additional shredded Romano to pass at the table. This is a great one-dish meal, but also may be accompanied by a salad of field greens tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.
TOMATO-BASIL RISOTTO
2 tablespoon butter or olive oil, divided
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine*
1 14.5-ounce can plus 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 teaspoon (about 1 large clove) minced garlic
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves cut into cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons whipping cream or half and half (optional)
1 large tomato or 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter or olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the rice and saute 1 minute. Add the wine and the can of chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is almost done, about 15 minutes. (Rice can be prepared to ahead and refrigerated.)
Heat the remaining butter or olive oil in a skillet with the garlic. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken is almost completely cooked. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Add the prepared rice, remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth, whipping cream, if desired, and diced tomato and cook, stirring, until the rice is heated through. Stir in the shredded Romano and basil and serve immediately.
*Note: Cooks can substitute chicken broth for the white wine in equal amounts.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 257 calories, 9 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 17 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 437 milligrams sodium.
Nutrition analysis provided by Michelle Baglio, a licensed and registered dietitian of the Augusta District Dietetic Association. Send questions via e-mail to augustadietitian@yahoo.com.
COMING SEPT. 17: Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas
See Karin prepare the recipe at noon Tuesday on WJBF-TV (Channel 6).
Write to Karin Calloway in care of The Augusta Chronicle Newsroom, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903. Or send e-mail to karin.calloway@comcast.net. You can find previous Quick Cooking recipes through the online archive at augustachronicle.com/karin.
