I hate Hell's Kitchen. I don't get kicks from watching Gordon Ramsay belligerently yelling at industry professionals over mistakes. Even if he is self-aware enough to play a caricature and make an idiot sandwich out of Chenbot, the show still stresses me out and does not reflect a healthy work environment. It's dinner, for crying out loud.
When I decided I wanted to try my hand at risotto, I got flashbacks to when my parents would watch Hell's Kitchen. Nobody on that show can get the risotto right. Getting assigned to the risotto station is your one-way ticket home. Why? Because risotto needs babysitting. You can't walk away from it. You've got to do all your prep work beforehand, and you've got to measure your liquids accurately. If you forgot to do something in terms of prep-work and stop to try to make it up, you run the risk of scorching the risotto or having it become too gummy.
But here's the thing: risotto isn't hard.
There's nothing about the recipe or process that is intimidating. It just requires your undivided attention for a solid 30 or so minutes. And if you've got someone to watch the baby for you so you can make the risotto, then why in the hell's kitchen would you not? Risotto is the creamiest cream-less dish you can make, and there's lots of ways to make it feel extra special by adding unique mix-ins. My approach to flavoring my risotto was a classic, sophisticated sweet-salty flavory combination: pancetta and figs, with some goat cheese for tang.
I've written this recipe with care. Instead of telling you what to do for mise en place in the ingredients list, I have put it in the directions so that everything will be ready as long as you follow the steps. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to chop or dice or slice something beforehand because I missed it in the ingredient section, and that's a recipe for disaster when it comes to risotto. This tells you when to cut and prep everything so you aren't frantically shaving cheese while you should be stirring the rice.
I promise that risotto is nothing to be intimidated by. It might not be something you want to make every night of the week, but if you're celebrating or looking to switch things up with your carbs, this is a solid route. Plus, the feeling of accomplishment is unparalleled. It will feel like you just made ambrosia in Heaven's kitchen.
With a pot of stock and a ladle,
~c.j.
PANCETTA & BALSAMIC FIG RISOTTO
PREP TIME: 10-15 minutes
ACTIVE COOK TIME: 30-35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40-55 minutes
YIELD: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
7 c. chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
2 sprigs rosemary, divided
10 dried figs
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
4 oz pancetta
1 shallot
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 c. arborio rice (if you can't find it, medium grain Calrose rice will work too!)
1/3 c. dry white wine, such as chardonnay
2 oz. parmesan cheese
4 oz. goat cheese
5 tbsp butter, divided
kosher salt
fresh black pepper
1 lemon
DIRECTIONS
In a medium sauce pan, combine chicken stock and 1 sprig rosemary. Cover, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat with small, frequent bubbles. Depending on your burners, this could take about 10-15 minutes. You don't want this too hot, so don't rush it! Once it reaches a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low and keep covered on the heat until ready to use.
Meanwhile, quarter the dried figs and place in a small saucepan with balsamic vinegar. Place the saucepan on a burner over medium and stir occasionally until vinegar in mostly absorbed by figs and evaporated, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Time to mise en place! Finely dice your pancetta, shallot, and garlic, keeping them aside and separated (they will be added at different times). Measure out 1 1/2 c. rice and set aside. Measure out 1/3 c. dry white wine and set aside. Finely grate parmesan cheese using a microplane, the small holes of a box grater, or a high powered blender. Set aside in a bowl with the goat cheese and 2 tbsp butter (they will be added together). Leave the other 3 tbsp of butter separate.
Time to cook the risotto! Make sure you in a distraction free work zone. a. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the pancetta, cooking to render some fat and crisp up, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot, and cook stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for an additional 4 minutes until transluscent. Add the garlic and cook stirring constantly until fragrant, 1 minute. b. Add the 3 tbsp piece of butter to the pan and stir to melt, followed by the pre-measured rice. Cook, stirring constantly until rice gets a nutty, toasty aroma, about 5 minutes. Add a hefty pinch of kosher salt. Pour in pre-measured white wine into the pan and use the wooden spoon to scrape up the bits of the pan. Once the wine is mostly evaporated and syrupy, about 30 seconds, it's time to do the "hard part." c. "The hard part" (it's not that hard): Remove the lid from your pot of broth, discard the rosemary sprig, and grab a ladle. Ladle in 2-3 scoops of warm broth directly into the dutch oven and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the broth is absorbed, about 3 or so minutes. Repeat this process until you have used all of the broth. The entire process takes about 20-25 minutes, and you will be left with stewy rice that maintains its integrity. Once all the broth has been used, you can breathe easily and remove the risotto from the heat.
Off the heat, add the remaining bowl with the parmesan, goat cheese, and butter directly to the dutch oven and stir to combine. Zest and juice the lemon directly into the risotto, and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed. Add lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir in the reserved balsamic figs. Finely chop about 1 tbsp of leaves from the remaining rosemary sprig and sprinkle overtop. Serve, feel proud, and enjoy.
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